The Terran Ascension
by JewelsGlow15
Summary: HPxSG1 When Harry finds the Chamber of Merlin within the halls of Hogwarts the future of Earth will never be the same. And neither will the characters.
1. Chapter 1

_**The Terran Ascension**_

_**Intro**_

_A note from your narrator…_

Throughout recorded history there are few events that while monumental in the grand scheme of things are actually relatively mundane. Perhaps this is due to the rather polar opposite nature of the two concepts, but it is more likely a condition of lack of foresight on the part of historians. Indeed, most historians have no ability with prognostication at all and routinely scoff at the concept. Frankly this is just poor record keeping if you ask me.

Take, for example, that fateful day in 992. No, no…not the day that Edith O'Dea created the Ever-lasting Éclair. We are focusing on slightly more important events at the moment. It was that day in 992 (while Edith was many miles away baking) that the final construction of Hogwarts Castle was completed. Now, history fails to record this as an important event due to the fact that the school had already been open for two years prior to the completion. The truth of the day's importance lies not in the completion of the castle as much as the events that followed.

Allow me to clear things up for you my dear reader. It is a matter of historical record that the Four Founders were the first, last, and only students to be trained by Merlin himself. It is also widely known that Merlin had vanished a few short years prior to the initial founding of Hogwarts. So you see it is in the fact that on this now much-mentioned day in 992 that Merlin himself visited Hogwarts, which makes it so important. Of course you will find no mention of this visit in any historical records or musty dust-covered tombs.

Ah, I can tell already you're questioning the veracity of my claim! Well listen here you young whipper-snapper I happen to have learned this history from a very reliable source. Now stop rolling your eyes and let me pass along my much vaunted and sought-after knowledge.

Now then, where was I? Oh yes. It was on the night that Hogwarts was finally declared complete that the history of the Wizarding World was forever altered. Merlin himself returned that night to hide away his vast knowledge within a secret chamber. While secret chambers within the school had already become somewhat cliché Merlin rarely cared about such things. Indeed, should one ever examine Merlin's choice of wardrobe this would be confirmed.

Getting back to the subject at hand; it was in creating this secret chamber that Merlin laid the foundations for events, which would not transpire for nearly a thousand years. While some may claim this was due to Merlin being a gifted Seer, but they would be laughed at since everyone knows Merlin was rather horrible at Divination. No, the truth is that Merlin simple knew much of the world and he knew that one day the full extent of his knowledge would fall into the right hands.

Now, my dear friend let me tell you the tale of exactly who discovered that hidden cache of secrets. It is one that has been told in part in numerous ways by innumerable people, but few have the full story. In matter of fact the true story is rarely told because to the general Wizarding World the tale ended shortly after it truly began. However, I'm getting ahead of things. So grab yourself an Ever-lasting Éclair and sit back while I open your mind to a world of truth you have never imagined.

Join me now as I share with you the tale of **_Harry Potter_** **_and_****_the Terran Ascension_**.

A/N: Originally this story was by Evilkender (Prologue- Chapter 4) but his muse seems to have died so I thought that I'd give it a shot. I didn't change much until Chapter 4, which was very short. I just hope I can do it justice as I really liked this story.


	2. Chapter 2

_**The Terran Ascension**_

_**  
Prologue: Part 1 – The Science of Magic**_

"_Are you sure you don't want me to help you look for your stuff?" he said._

"_Oh no," said Luna. "No, I think I'll just go down and have some pudding and wait for it all to turn up…It always does in the end…Well, have a nice holiday, Harry."_

"_Yeah…yeah, you too."_

_She walked away from him, and as he watched her go, he found that the terrible weight in his stomach seemed to have lessened slightly._

_Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, pg 864_

It was odd, he thought, how a few moments ago he had felt so drained and yet now he felt the need to wonder the halls. His conversation with Sir Nicholas had left Harry feeling drained and miserable as he once again felt the keen loss of his godfather, but talking with Luna had brought the opposite feeling. Perhaps her words had actually helped begin healing the near all-encompassing ache that Sirius' death had created. As his mind pondered her words his feet carried him away from the portrait of the Fat Lady and deep into the bowls of the castle.

If asked Harry would not have been able to say exactly how long he had continued to wonder the halls. In fact, he would not even be able to explain where he was. When his mind was finally drawn out of his tumultuous thoughts he looked around curiously. In the five years that he had attended Hogwarts he could not remember ever walking down this corridor. _"Odd."_ he thought to himself as he looked around.

While he knew all to well that Hogwarts tended to rearrange itself at random it was slightly unnerving to find himself in a completely unknown spot. Thanks to a great many nocturnal adventures, liberal use and study of the Marauder's Map, and well developed sense of direction he had been fairly certain he knew most all of the pathways of the school. Now, to discover a totally unfamiliar location seemed to draw him out of the mental-mire he had slowly been sinking into.

The hallway looked much like any other in the school at first glance. However, to Harry's keen and overly-curious eye it was too clean. Turning slowly in place he noted that the corridor had no torches to light it like all the others; it seemed to simply provide its own soft illumination. The very stones glowed. No doors or archways hinted at a purpose or destination, and no windows revealed the hallway's relative location on the grounds. _"If there aren't any classrooms, common rooms, or anything else along here…why's it so clean?"_ he pondered with a growing sense of intrigue.

With his curiosity getting the better of him he began to move slowly down the hallway again. Soon he noticed a discoloration along the wall further ahead and quickened his pace to investigate it. Each step closer to the discoloration seemed to fill him with an indescribable urge to move faster. He had to find out what it was. When he approached within a dozen feet he recognized the discoloration for a mural that filled the wall floor to ceiling. Eyes wide in awe at the magnificent work of art Harry slowed his pace as he approached the furthest edge. What he saw quickly stole his breath away. The mural, which spanned the length of the wall for as far as he could see, was the tale of the founders.

Slowly moving along the pictorial timeline the story of each founder unfolded. He could watch as the exquisitely detailed figures of the painting moved and grew from children to adults. His eyes danced hungrily took in the meeting of the four and their adventures together. Nothing prepared him though for the shock of watching the founders meet a man who closely resembled Professor Dumbledore. The figure stood what Harry imagined to be slightly shorter than his Headmaster and sported the same style of long white beard and hair. The wizened old man wore a set of common grey robes and carried a large staff in one hand. Staring wide-eyed at the painting Harry suddenly came to a jaw-dropping realization. "It's Merlin!" he exclaimed breathlessly to himself. His mind raced at the revelation; he had never heard that the founders knew Merlin. If this tidbit of history wasn't enough his continued journey down the corridor and along the mural nearly overwhelmed him: Merlin had trained the founders.

"_How did I never hear about this?"_ he pondered as he watched in awe at mural's depiction of the founders training under the greatest of all wizards. Still following the graphic timeline he found himself with a lump in his throat as he watched the founders bid their mentor goodbye. His heart ached suddenly as his mind correlated the loss with Sirius. It was stupid, he knew, to compare the two events and yet he couldn't help it. The last section of the mural depicted the founders' building and opening Hogwarts. Unwittingly Harry ran into wall that he hadn't even realized he had been approaching. Startled out of his revelry at the mural he realized that the odd corridor just abruptly ended right after the mural. _"An entire corridor just for a mural?"_ he blinked at the odd thought.

It is said that a curious mind often suspects the overly obvious and for Harry that was especially true…in most cases. The idea that an entire hallway was devoted to _nothing_ but a mural just didn't sit right with him. Surely such an amazing work of art, not to mention piece of history, would normally be someplace prominent in the school. There should be teacher's offices or classrooms here. _"Something, anything should be where this is."_ His mind told him suspiciously. Though he would deny it if asked Harry had a sneaking suspicion that he was thinking distinctly like a Slytherin would in this situation. Ignoring the budding nausea that idea brought he began to retrace his steps along the mural.

His attention was drawn and held once again at the scene of Merlin's departure. Harry watched again as Merlin seemed to give the two men and two women his final words before vanishing into a bright golden-white light that ascended into the night sky above. To say that the light held him transfixed would be a gross understatement. Something about the sight of the ancient wizard's transformation filled him with a great longing. The ache that had been in his heart at the reminder of loosing Sirius seemed to be shared now with an unnamed desire to follow the light. His right hand unconsciously reached out at touched the spot where Merlin was once again transforming. When his hand touched Merlin's glowing spot on the mural a sudden movement in his peripheral vision caught Harry's attention. His head whipped around, eyebrows knotting slightly as he realized that something about the last scene of the mural was changing he returned to the end of the hallway to examine what was happening.

At first glance it appeared as though the paint of the mural was starting to inexplicably melt off the wall. It was with an audible gasp that Harry realized that the paint was actually stretching to fill the last bit of previously blank wall and that the hallway itself was growing to allow room for more of the mural. After several minutes the paint began to reform and, eyes wide as the sight, he saw a glowing gold-white figure appear before what looked like a completed Hogwarts. "Merlin returned…" he murmured in awe. As the glow faded from the figure it was indeed revealed to be Merlin. The figure slowly strode toward the castle and entered causing the painting to once again alter to now depict the inside of the school as it followed Merlin's path. The mural continued to follow the small painted man as he trekked through the bowls of the castle until finally he stopped at a blank wall. Harry wondered at the similarities between the wall Merlin now faced and the corridor that he himself currently stood in.

The painted Merlin suddenly transformed the wall before him into a doorway unlike any Harry had every seen before. Dark brown panels framed smaller panels in various geometric shapes of an almost marbled off-white color while small illuminated white shapes accentuated the door along the outer edges at the top and bottom. The door suddenly swung on invisible pivots at two points along the top and bottom splitting it into two separate panels which now stood perpendicular to the rest of the wall giving an appearance of three separate openings into a room beyond. As the mural changed to show the interior of the room beyond the strange door the figure of Merlin vanished to miniscule proportions as he became dwarfed by a library the size of which caused Harry's eyes to bulge and jaw to drop. _"Hermione would kill to get into Merlin's library I wonder if it's really here in Hogwarts..."_ he thought numbly as he gazed slack jawed at the sight before him, _"hell even I would love to see Merlin's library!"_

There are a great many saying that allude to the dangers of making wishes. The most prominent is that one should be careful what they wish for because they just might get it. Perhaps this warning was lost on Harry due to his rather poor luck regarding unfulfilled dreams and desires. No matter what the reason for his lack of caution in the realm of unspoken wishes the simple reality is that he was totally unprepared for the stone wall and mural to suddenly waver in a ripple of light and vanish right before his eyes. His feet scrambled to move him backward away from the suddenly appearing door before him as his heart began to thump in his ears due to a massive adrenaline rush. "Bloody hell." he murmured under his breath as he realized what he was staring at. It was the exact same door Merlin had stood before in the mural. It was the entrance to Merlin's Library.

Harry's mind was quickly reduced to a flurry of thoughts that leapt from one idea or question to another without pattern or coherence. After the way his year had been going no one would begrudge him the near total mental melt down he was experiencing at his latest unexpected adventure. Amusingly it was exactly that thought that brought the rest to a rather spectacular halt as he simply groaned, slapped a hand over his eyes, shook his head, and ground out between clenched teeth, "Why me?" It wasn't exactly as though he expected an answer, but he couldn't help but petulantly feel that fate had once again decided to play with its favorite punching-bag. This thought was the final straw on an exceedingly overburdened camel's back and Harry began to rant in a rather acidic and loud tone.

"Why?! Why in the name of whatever controls this bloody world does all this always happen to me?" he ground out as he paced back and forth before the odd door. Voice echoing down the deserted hallway Harry continued to rant and rave at the injustices of the universe. It wasn't until sometime later when his voice was raw from yelling and his eyes red and puffy from tears shed in frustration and grief did reality finally re-intrude upon him. His eyes once again fell on the door before him and the enormity of the significance of the door began to beat in his mind. "I…I found M-Merlin's Libr…ary." he stuttered out as he finally grasped the concept. This epiphany was immediately followed by an internal debate over what to do.

"I should go find Professor Dumbledore. He'd want to know about this for sure!" he muttered as he stared at the door.

"…but what if I can't find my way back here? I don't know how I got here in the first place." the response to his own comment came.

"Well if you can't leave then what do you do?"

"Send a message! I…have no idea whatsoever how I would send a message." he realized glumly and with no small amount of consternation. He decided to look into exactly how the Ministry used those paper airplanes to communicate. Naturally, this newfound resolution quickly brought about the realization that even if he knew he didn't always carry a quill, ink and parchment. It didn't take long before Harry found himself so far off the original train of thought that he had nearly forgotten what it was. _"Oh sod it all. I'll sneak a look and then go find Dumbledore."_ he finally decided with a bit of a mental 'huff'. Finally, set upon a course of action he stepped closer to the door in order to look for some way to open it.

Much to his shock as he came within reach of the almost chocolate brown panels of the door it began to slowly rotate into its two-paneled open state. A slight hiss escaped to sound down the hallway as the door opened. Taking a deep breath to steady his beyond-frayed nerves Harry gazed past the door in the darkness of the room before him. When the doors finally stopped in their perpendicular positions he slowly began to move between the panels.

The soft light from the hallways seemed to barely encroach into the room beyond the door as though it refused to give up its secrets, but when he finally set a single foot into the room it was set awash with light. Blinking rapidly to clear the spots from his vision Harry slowly turned his head to look over what he expected to be a grand library. To his surprise, and slight chagrin, he found only a circular room. Admittedly the room he found himself stepping into was nearly the size of the Great Hall would be if squashed into a circular shape rather than its long rectangular one, but it wasn't a library. In fact, the room appeared to be completely empty except for a large raised platform and podium in the very center.

Disappointment written clearly in his features Harry was about to turn and exit the empty chamber when he had a moment of clarity. The realization that came to him nearly made him slap himself in frustration. "Magic you dolt. The library's most likely hidden somehow by magic even once inside." he mumbled to himself in utter consternation at his own thick-headedness. With a far more focused mind and clear intent he moved further into the room to give it a closer inspection. When the door began to close behind him his newfound composure fled and he rushed back toward it only to find it instantly halt its closing swing and return to a fully open position. "Ahh, it's like at a muggle shopping mall." he commented to himself and the empty room as his pulse once again relented. Backing away from the door and into the room at large he watched the doors slowly rotate back into a closed position. With a deep breath to settle the last of his nerves and brace his courage he stepped forward toward the door again with a small mental prayer that it would open. An explosive release of his breath greeted the sight of the doors once again opening of their own accord at his approach. He wouldn't be locked in.

Feeling a great deal more confident after his testing of the door Harry returned his, yet again, attentive gaze to the room. Intent green eyes locked on the podium sitting at the far edge of the raised platform. Moving cautiously across the empty room he made his way around the dais until he stood behind the podium. Like the rest of the room the podium was the same brown and marbled white design, but its slanted waist-high top appeared to have a large glossy white panel over it. Looking the podium and dais over in a closer inspection didn't reveal anything too strange or obviously dangerous so he slowly stepped up onto the platform behind the podium. Caution marking his every move Harry simply stood there for a moment. When no ill effects came and he hadn't been whisked away by a trap port-key he again released a breath he didn't know he had been holding. It was in this moment that he realized just how stupid he was being.

It was obvious, now that he thought about everything, that exploring unknown locations that mysteriously appear out of thin-air was rather idiotic. Even at Hogwarts where rooms move, paintings talk to you, and House Elves scurry unseen it was not a good idea to just go poking around in unexpectedly appearing chambers. This safety concept is especially true when dealing with a chamber that looks nothing like the rest of the castle. Groaning audibly Harry amended this realization with the idea that if one was still inclined to explore said area it would at least be advisable to have their wand at the ready and not stuffed in their back pocket. "Moody would kill me, bring me back, and kill me again if he saw me now." the raven-haired boy mumbled.

Even with these thoughts running through his mind something told Harry that there was no danger in the room. It was one of those inexplicable feelings that he had always had. He had first noticed them when he was in primary school hiding from Dudley and his gang. The feeling of impending doom always seemed to warn him just before his hiding place was discovered, or conversely he would get a feeling of safety when he knew he was somewhere safe from Harry Hunting. Trusting his feelings of safety he returned to his examination of the podium before him. With the exception of the strange, almost alien, design there didn't appear to be anything out of the norm or magical about it. It was this thought that caused a slightly flummoxed boy to lean, arms crossed before him, forward onto the podium to think over his next step. When his arms made contact with the milky white glossy surface of the podium the lights in the room dimmed noticeably and the flooring of the platform lit up. Glancing around at the sudden change Harry missed the waver of light in the center of the platform, but as the light coalesced into the shape of a man it caught his attention.

"Merlin!" he exclaimed both as an expression of shock and in recognition.

In the center of the platform, encircled by what looked like a ring of light, was none other than the figure he knew to be Merlin. The man sported the exact same long white beard, grey robes, and staff as the painting had depicted and there could be no mistaking him. Harry stood gazing at the ancient wizard. In a normal situation one might say he was staring like he had just seen Merlin, but for obvious reasons that analogy is a bit obvious.

"Greetings to you who hath discovered my chamber…" Merlin intoned cordially.

Quickly recovering what wits he could Harry gave a small bow to the esteemed figure before responding with, what he felt was a rather pathetic, "Er…hi."

"…I am known as Myrddin among those who built this castle. If you have found this place then you are the first of your kind to be ready to receive the knowledge protected here."

Harry blinked dumbly. The entire experience was overloading what little sense he had left for the day which in turn was sapping the last of his energy. He suddenly felt very light headed as he stared at the man who was more legend and myth than flesh and blood.

"While I have long since passed beyond this plane of existence I have left this place to guide the one who would first discover it and pass the test." Merlin continued.

"What test? What do you mean by 'long sense passed beyond this plane of existence'?" Harry interrupted lamely as he peered at the man.

Merlin seemed to pause for a moment. Then his face became grave and his tone serious. "I say to you now answer with caution and utter honesty: Do you wish to learn from the knowledge contained here even if it will forever alter your perception of your world?"

Shocked into full awareness once again by Merlin's words Harry stared at the man. _"What does he mean by 'forever alter your perception of my world'?"_ he pondered. The sudden change of demeanor was unsettling as was the man's utter lack of movement. It was almost as if he had been hit with a Petrificus Totalus. "What is going on here?" he whispered to himself. Something about the whole situation was off, but he just couldn't seem to grasp what is was. _"Maybe,"_ he thought with dawning caution, _"this must be some kind of test. He said he built this room to guide whoever came here and then he asks if I want to learn. Surely Merlin's knowledge would be very dangerous in the wrong hands. That must be what he means."_ This thought unsettled him a bit further. He was positive that he wasn't smart enough or strong enough to handle even a tiny fraction of what Merlin could offer. Dumbledore surely would understand, and maybe even Remus or Hermione.

"That's it…I'll go get Dumbledore. If he can learn what's in here then maybe I won't have to fulfill the prophecy after all!" he exclaimed. His face had lit up at the discovery and idea. His heart felt free and for a brief moment he thought that fate had finally dealt him a winning hand, but that was not destined to be.

"No!" boomed Merlin's voice which then echoed around the chamber. Harry stood frozen where he had begun to move off the platform. Eyes wide in shock, again, he stared at Merlin. His blood began to chill as a sense of foreboding overcame him. Somehow, in that moment, he knew he had managed to once again get himself into some sort of jam. Merlin continued, "Listen well. You are the first since the creation of this Chamber to gain entry. You, and only you, are capable of learning what it has to offer. You can not bring another here as the chamber will not reopen once you leave."

"W-what? Why? Dumbledore is the one who should…" Harry stammered, but was quickly cut off by Merlin.

"This chamber will open only long enough for one person to enter and be judged. When you leave the chamber will loose all power and be sealed once again."

"_Great. Just bloody great."_ Harry thought with no small amount of rancor. "I don't know what's going on, but…if I can't get Dumbledore and I can't leave without the place sealing how can I possibly hope to learn what you're offering?" he asked in what he hoped was a respectful tone even with the level of frustration he was suddenly feeling.

"I am only a guide to the knowledge contained here. This place is simply a doorway." the white haired man responded enigmatically.

Harry narrowed his eyes at Merlin. Every sense he had was screaming that this was wrong. The way Merlin was referring to himself and the chamber didn't sit well with him. Then, it all clicked into place and Harry quickly drew out his wand and pointed it at the ancient wizard. "You're not real! You're like Riddle and his diary…"

"You are correct." Merlin interrupted what surely would have proven to be a long and nasty rant. "I am merely a representation of the one known as Myrddin. I was left to await the arrival of the first Terran able to find this chamber."

Thinking furiously over the situation something dawned on Harry suddenly. "You're not real." he stated firmly, but far more calmly than before.

"You are correct. I am merely a representation of the one known as Myrddin. I was left to await the arrival of the first able to find this chamber." the not-man responded.

Nodding ever-so-slightly to himself Harry repeated the statement for a third time. When the representation answered with the exact same words, inflection and minor body movements it confirmed his suspicions. It wasn't really Merlin, but some sort of interactive pensive. While in one sense it made Harry feel a great deal better, and he put away his wand, it only added a new dimension to the whole situation.

Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes Harry began to review everything he knew. _"It's obvious Merlin hid this place here to pass on his knowledge, but apparently he was pretty picky in who got in. Once one person's in here, no one else can come in because the place seals off, but Merlin's knowledge isn't here per say."_ Glancing at the statuesque form of Merlin he furrowed his brow and began to pace back and forth behind the podium. _"If I can't bring Dumbledore or anyone else back, and I don't learn what's here then Merlin's knowledge is lost."_ A sudden flash of anger clouded the emerald green eyes as they glanced again at the image of Merlin. _"Why does this always bloody happen to me? First it's the damn prophecy and now…"_ his thoughts trailed off as his eyes grew wide. The anger and self-pity he had felt a moment before drained away as his mind focused on one thing. _"The prophecy… 'but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not'…Merlin's knowledge…"_

In that moment he felt hope; true hope. Not the childish hope that he could avoid the prophecy that fate had saddled him with, but rather the adult and resolved hope that he would have the means to accomplish his goal. Leaping into the air he pumped his fist above him and let out a shout of "YES! Screw you Voldemort!" With a little dance of premature victory to conclude his exclamation Harry finally got control of his emotions for what felt like the millionth time that day. Turning back to the image of Merlin he couldn't help but grin. "I want to learn what you can teach me. I have to learn it or the costs will be a lot higher than my perception of the world."

Merlin simply nodded to Harry before the image began to ripple. When the ripple had passed the image before him was no longer of Merlin. Gone was the beard and the long hair was replaced by a bald head. The grey robes had been replaced by a simple set of odd white pants and a jacket unlike anything Harry had ever seen. No longer holding a staff the image now had its hands folded behind its back. Harry blinked at the change. Though the image no longer looked anything like Merlin in principal the face and body told him that it was the same man.

"Allow me to properly introduce myself." the image began again. "My true name is Moros though those who built this castle and their kind knew me as Myrddin Emrys. There is a great deal for me to explain to you, but before I am able you must pass a relatively simple task for the knowledge contained here is far too great to entrust with just anyone. Do you still wish to learn?"

Harry nodded resolutely. Strangely, the fact that the image would not impart the knowledge to just anyone even if it could only offer it once made him feel better. "I do." he responded with a nod of his head.

"Then close your eyes and place your right hand flat upon the console before you." Moros responded promptly."

Doing as instructed Harry suddenly felt as though his head had been submerged. Behind his closed eyelids he began to see flashes of light but just as quickly as both sensations began they faded away. Opening his eyes and gripping the podium tightly he fought to regain his equilibrium. "Whoa…" he murmured while shaking off the strange effects.

"I congratulate you, Harry James Potter, on being found worthy. Feel free to step around to the other side of the pedestal and take a seat. There is much to cover and not much time to do it in." Moros said in a crisp tone that indicated he was accustomed to being obeyed.

Not willing to argue with the offer to sit Harry quickly obliged with a relieved sigh and not so much as a second thought to the use of his name. Once he was settled and hid a yawn behind his hand Moros began speaking again. "Based on the scan of your memories the test concluded this message has been tailored to meet your understanding." Moros began. Harry paled at the idea that his memories had been so easily "scanned" as the image said.

Oblivious to Harry's state the image went on. "We will begin with a history lesson. Remember that I told you your perceptions of the world would be shattered by what I offer, and this is where those perceptions will challenged. You may choose not to believe me, but denial of the truth will not change it. I ask that you let me get through this portion before interrupting with questions. All will be made clear with time."

Thus the image, or as he later came to know it hologram, of Moros opened the eyes of a 15 year old boy to realties of the universe that no one else on the small blue planet knew. Despite how much he wanted to interrupt, no matter how many questions cluttered is rapidly confused mind Harry did not. He sat. He listened. He learned. As odd and impossible as what he heard seemed at times he didn't argue. While he still had many doubts something told him to believe what he was hearing. In a bizarre way it gave him hope, and hope was what he needed the most right then.

"While your people know me as Myrddin, or as you call me Merlin, you now know my name is truly Moros. I am not human as you are. My people were once called the Alterans. Well over a million years ago by your calendar my people came to this galaxy and began to colonize its many solar systems and planets. We were the first evolution of this form in your galaxy.

When we discovered this planet, Earth as you call it, we were amazed by it. It was missing one of the most key elements that make up most inhabitable planets. This element, found on all other living planets, has the ability to absorb and channel massive amounts of energy. It is the presence of this element on most planets that allows life to flourish. Under normal circumstances the various types of radiation and energy that bombard a planet without this element present simply kill any life that attempts to take root there. The exception to this is when a planet as a far thicker atmosphere than is normal. That atmosphere shields the planet from the excess energies. However, your planet has neither the element nor a special atmosphere and yet life was flourishing here.

My people were, to say the least, intrigued. We studied the planet for many years to determine if our people would be safe living there. When we finally determined that the planet was safe we began to colonize it. Our people lived on this planet and in this galaxy for countless generations before a great tragedy struck. A plague began to ravage our people and no matter what we did we could not stop it. Thus, we fled this galaxy to try and save our race.

When we left Earth it was in the midst of an ice age. Your race was barely able to master fire and living in caves. When we returned, around what you would label 7796 BC your people had advanced, but were still primitives compared even to your current standards. However, already you were beginning to show that much like many other life forms on this planet your race was being altered by the unique energies of the planet. It wasn't until I returned to Earth in your year 823 AD that I realized how much the planet had changed your race.

Terrans- What you call witches and wizards, are humans, who have naturally developed the ability to manipulate the energy around them. While our race was able to gain some mastery of this ability over time and evolution it was never more than in a handful of our population and was difficult for them to master. Your race had already surpassed ours on a comparable timeline. Still your people had much growing to do as a species, but I knew that one day one of your people would be ready for the truth. There is much more to the history of our two peoples obviously, but our time is short and I still have much I must tell you.

When my people were on Earth we created a city we called Atlantis. It was a city, and yet it was also a ship capable of traveling between the stars and galaxies. As I told you earlier during the last ice age as our people were ravaged by the plague some of us took Atlantis and left for another galaxy. We hoped to use it to make a new start there. Sadly, it was lost to us and we were forced to return to Earth through the StarGate. In a last attempt to salvage our civilization we built a second great City Ship: Camelot.

Due to the up-and-coming nature of your race we hid the city and its construction away in a dimension slightly out of alignment with this one. This means that while it is still on Earth it is hidden and inaccessible by anyone who does not have the ability to use Alteran technology. Unfortunately circumstances prevented us from ever completing Camelot's stardrive and it remains, to this day, hidden.

You are the first of your race, the first Terran, to possess the ability to utilize what you refer to as 'magic' as well as being evolved enough to control Alteran technology. Thus I give you the knowledge of how to find Camelot. With this knowledge you will be able to access the full store of Alteran knowledge as well as my own. There is a great deal to learn.

In a moment this hologram will end and a compartment within the pedestal will open. Take the armband you find within and put it on. Once you close the compartment a second door in this room will open. Enter the room behind it and you will be taken to Camelot. When you arrive you will be in a similar room attached to another Holographic chamber just like this one. After you enter the chamber inside Camelot you will find another holographic recording to instruct you further.

Good luck."

Harry scrambled to his feet calling out, "No! Wait! I…" but it was too late. The hologram of Moros had faded away and the room's lights returned to their near-forgotten brightness. Wincing at the sudden brightness of the room he stumbled his way around the pedestal to find the compartment mentioned extended out from the base. He simply gazed at it.

This was the moment of truth for Harry. Did he believe the fanciful tale the holograph told? Did he take the armband and travel to the fabled city of Camelot; a city almost as legendary as Atlantis? Question upon question boiled in his furiously active mind.

_Is it safe?_

_What would Professor Dumbledore say?_

_An alien? Merlin was a bloody alien?_

_What would Ron and Hermione say?_

_Atlantis was really a giant space ship?_

_How long would he be gone?_

_What's a Stargate?_

_Would he learn how to stop Voldemort?_

Then as suddenly as the torrent of questions began it ended. Only one thought was left ringing in his mind as if in answer to all of the questions he had been asking: _"…but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives."_ His doubt evaporated in that instant. It didn't matter what Dumbledore, Hermione, or Ron said or wanted in the long run. He was the one with the prophecy. He was the one with this opportunity; and damned if he was going to pass it up because he was too scared. He wasn't a Gryffindor because he was a coward after all. With that thought he snatched the armband from the compartment and slid it over his arm.

Stepping down off the platform Harry made his way to the opening door at the far side of the chamber. Filled with a new sense of determination he stepped into the small closet-sized room. He noticed immediately a glossy black panel at the back of the room that lit up as the door sealed. _"It's like a muggle TV."_ he mused when the panel lit up with what appeared to be a large blueprint of some sort. In the center of the blueprint was a blinking dot with some sort of symbols beside it he didn't recognize. Remembering the podium outside he reached out and with a shrug and a thought of _"Here goes nothing."_ He touched the panel where the dot silently blinked.

* * *

Several stories up, and half a castle away a small silvery device lay broken on a large desk. Had the device been whole and functional someone would have no doubt heard it whistling loudly in distress. Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, was no longer anywhere the device would have been able to track him. As it was, however, everyone was fast asleep within the quiet halls of Hogwarts and the device was indeed broken. When morning finally crept upon the inhabitants of the castle the news began to rapidly spread: Harry Potter was gone. 


	3. Chapter 3

_**Prologue: Part 2 – "Voldemort's Fall"**_

It is a common saying that 'a man can only take so much'. While Albus Dumbledore might be an extraordinary man of renowned power and intellect he is still just a man. Today he is just a man with a migraine. Gently rubbing his temple he gazed unseeingly at the copy of _The Daily Prophet_ before him. Once again the reports of Voldemort's attacks and cries of public outrage filled the pages of the news. Inevitably his mind began to wonder to the past and question his actions and inactions as a man of his age and experience frequently does. It always seemed to come back to one thing in his opinion: all the current hardship and despair of the wizarding world came down to a series of mistakes made in a single day.

Nearly fifteen months ago now, the magical community reeled from the revelation by the Ministry of Voldemort's return. The fiasco within the heart of the Ministry building itself, the Department of Mysteries, had forced the now ex-minister to admit the facts that he had been covering up. The entire day of the battle had been one screw up after another. Starting with Harry's false vision by Voldemort and ending with a rather destructive confrontation in the very office Dumbledore now sat in. _"Ah, but my mistakes did not end with that rather mishandled confrontation."_ Albus thought to himself as he gazed at a now repaired silver doodad on his desk. Of all his regrets from that day this perhaps was his greatest. After having laid so many heavy truths upon one young man's shoulders he had failed to repair the one device that could have helped find Harry.

"What a fool I was Fawkes. To lay so much on an already grief burdened soul and then not think to watch him as closely as possible." He said softly as he looked up to the concerned eyes of his Phoenix companion. "I thought to give him space and allow him to grieve, and I still believe that to have been the right decision. Yet I should have made sure he was watched from afar. After all, a boy can only take so much. I merely hope I have not driven him away for good." With a sigh the aging headmaster returned to his work and allowed past regrets to fall back in the memories they belong with while he continued on.

* * *

The morning of October 31st 1997 saw the magical community of Great Britain in a mass panic. Owls were spotted by muggles and wizards alike as they sped here and there delivering papers and messages to shocked and terrified people. The headline of _The Daily Prophet_ stated simply "The War has begun." The entire paper was filled with details on a three-pronged attack by Voldemort, which included the utter destruction of Auror Headquarters, the Ministry of Magic, and well over two dozen families. This was nothing like the madman's previous raids. This was the first offensive in an all-out war, and the side of the Light had lost grievously. 

Among those as listed as dead or missing were the Weasley family (all those living at the Burrow), nearly all of the Muggleborn students of Hogwarts, several key members of the Wizengamot, Ollivander, and Florean Fortescue. The confirmed deaths continued to update in the paper magically throughout the day as survivors waited to discover the fate of their loved ones. The Floo network was flooded and backed up with calls.

As the community at large mourned and raged at the atrocities of the previous night, the Order of the Phoenix prepared. Anyone able to think strategically had realized that this was, in fact, not the beginning of the war but rather Voldemort's end play. Two of the three primary targets of the war had fallen; only Hogwarts remained. Thus, it was easy for Dumbledore and the Order to conclude what the End Game would be and when. October 31st would prove the end of the war one way or the other. While professors and Order members rushed around the castle making preparations a small group of students were planning their own part of the defense. The last battle would come that night and they all, teacher and student alike, would do their part.

* * *

Elsewhere, Voldemort and his forces were preparing as well. Voldemort had called his Inner Circle to him to brief them on his plans for the battle and now he sat in a throne-like chair watching them. His eyes narrowed at the few missing members who had been so weak as to be captured in the prior night's raids. It was in this vein that he called forth his top lieutenant. "Lucius, come forward and explain to me why we are missing several of our brethren." he commanded in a subtly frigid hiss. 

Stepping forward the elder Malfoy repressed the urge to shudder at the tone of his lord's command as he dropped to his knee. "My lord," he began, "they were fools and thought to remain over long torturing the mudblood friend of Potter. The Order managed to break the anti-Apparation wards and overwhelmed them. The others underestimated the defenses on the Weasley hovel." Keeping his eyes downcast he awaited the punishment he knew his lord's wrath would bring. He was not kept waiting long.

"You disappoint me Lucius. _Crucio!_" replied the Dark Lord with a slight hint of sadistic amusement creeping into the words. The target of his displeasure collapsed under the onslaught of pain his lord induced. "I trust you can see the irony Lucius. Tortured for your failure by the very curse one of our lost members loved so dearly." He hissed as his blood red eyes danced with inhuman amusement. "_Crucio!_"

When the curse was finally lifted Malfoy struggled to regain his senses and rise to his knee before his lord. Struggling for breath he simply uttered a pained "Forgive me my lord." Voldemort simply waved him off in an unspoken command to return to his place with the others. Not wishing for a third bought of the pain curse his quickly forced himself to his feet and stepped back into line. There he stood with the others, eyes downcast, waiting for their master to convey his wishes.

"Now my faithful it is time to prepare. Tonight the old fool shall die and his school shall burn." A flick of his wand summoned a large trunk to the floor before him. "In my many journeys as a youth I happened upon this trunk's contents. They had been buried within an ancient temple to a long forgotten god, but no secrets can be kept from Lord Voldemort." he stated to indulge his minion's curious glances. "I have long studied them and now they shall be the key to our ultimate victory." With another flick of the yew wand the trunk opened to reveal several dozen strange looking devices. They appeared like small turquoise stones set into gold armbands. Certainly nothing overly impressive to the eye, but no one would be foolish enough to voice this thought to their lord.

"You will each wear one of these tonight. Just prior to battle simply touch the gem and it shall activate. You will find yourself protected well against anything those fools may attempt." their lord instructed in a velvety hiss. A final flick of the most feared wand in Britain sent the devices floating from the trunk and into the hands of the eagerly awaiting Death Eaters. _"Yes,"_ Voldemort reflected as he observed his followers,_ "tonight shall be a glorious victory. No more Potter and soon no more Dumbledore. The world will be mine for the taking."_

* * *

As darkness descended over the millennia-old castle of Hogwarts the battle began. The full might of Voldemort's Death Eaters fell upon the wards surrounding the school. In a matter of hours the outer defenses had been eroded and breached and the fighting began in earnest on the front lawn and on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. 

History would not record the conflict as a battle so much as a slaughter. The Death Eaters employed the unknown devices provided by their lord to great effect. Only the most powerful of curses could breach the protection the strange armbands provided. Within only an hour nearly all of the defenders had either fallen or forced to withdraw into the confines of the castle. The wards of Hogwarts may have provided a fair amount of protection, but it was the castle itself that was nearly impenetrable. Ancient protections had been wrought into the very stones and beams of the castle itself so that only the most powerful of assaults could bring it harm. So it was that the battle came to a near halt as the forces of darkness attempted to breach the defenses once again.

Near midnight Voldemort himself joined the effort to bring down the last line of Hogwarts defense. This would prove to be his undoing. While he stood among his loyal followers before the massive main entrance to the castle a lone figure began walking up the path from the main gate. Perhaps it was the casual gait at which the figure strode that allowed him to go unchallenged by the Death Eater sentries, or perhaps it was the overwhelming sense of presence that made them wary to approach. The reason for his unfettered approach began unimportant, however, when he stopped a mere dozen feet from the Dark Lord.

"Evening Tom." A youthful voice called out casually into the torch-lit darkness around the Death Eaters and their lord. Needless to say this called instant attention to the figure. Voldemort spun in place and leveled his wand on the impudent whelp that dared to call him by his filthy muggle name. Blood red eyes narrowed as he took in the appearance of the boy before him. Raven hair played in the evening breeze while emerald green eyes bore intently into his crimson pair.

"Potter!" hissed the Dark Lord as he and those Death Eaters with him raised their wands.

"Tom it's time for us to finish what we started. You've killed enough innocents already; it's time to pay for your sins." Harry said simply yet his voice carried with it a tone that bespoke a finality that even gave Voldemort pause. Instantly those around him knew something was different about him. This was no longer the stupidly brave Gryffindor that had rashly charged into the Department of Mysteries. Everything about the falsely casual demeanor the boy held screamed warning signs to those wise enough to see them.

"Indeed." Voldemort replied with obvious amusement and curiosity. His eyes narrowed again as he scrutinized the boy that had given him so many problems. Dressed in what appeared to be simple casual muggle clothes covered with a brown robe which hung open at the front. That he had grown in the past year was obvious and so was the extra muscle mass he now possessed. Apparently the boy had been working out. Yet the change in physique is not what gave the Dark Lord pause; the sense of serene power did. Never before, even with Dumbledore, had Riddle felt an intangible presence like this. It seemed to hum, coiled below the surface. "Then let us duel." he finally replied.

With a courteous nod Harry stepped back and gestured to his side with a slight polite bow. "One last duel then. I, Harry James Potter challenge you Tom Marvolo Riddle to a duel to the death. No interference by outside parties on penalty of the forfeiture of magic and no seconds."

With a smirk on pale lips Voldemort nodded. "I, Tom Marvolo Riddle accept your challenge on the terms so stated." he replied and a bright flash of light sealed the agreement. His followers grinned maliciously as they began to form a circle around their master and the upstart boy. They would finally get to see their lord destroy the brat that had plagued them for so long. They were not the only onlookers however. Inside the school the few remaining defenders gazed in trepidation out of windows. Hope flared in their souls that perhaps the Boy-Who-Lived would once again save them all in their darkest hour. Dumbledore himself gazed on in fearful pride at his student. The odds were against the boy, but somehow he knew Harry would not have risked all on a fools quest. He held faith that the boy knew what he was doing.

Tom and Harry gave each other a polite bow and held each other's gaze. The duel had begun, but no spells were exchanged. "Not going to even draw your wand Potter? Come now surely your proud words weren't simply a suicide ploy?" Voldemort drawled in an amused hiss.

"Hardly Tom. I'm just waiting on you." Harry responded with a slightly childish smirk on his face.

With an angered hiss at the blatant disrespect the first spell of the duel was thrown as Voldemort called out, "You shall learn respect boy. _Crucio_!"

"Goodbye Tom." Harry replied simply as he sidestepped the pain curse. Holding his left hand out before him, palm facing his enemy, a golden sphere of energy began to gather in the air between the two. Voldemort sucked in a breath in shock as the Death Eaters all backed away a step or two in fear. A flick of Harry's right wrist sent a beam of silvery-white energy streaking at the Dark Lord while his attention was diverted. Too late did Voldemort notice the second attack and his attempt to divert the spell proved to be ineffective. The silver-white light struck his chest and all he knew was pain.

Shocked gasps echoed through the night as the Dark Lord fell to his knees in an anguished cry. The scream of pain was short lived, however, as the body of the Dark Lord began to wither and crumble away. Horror ran through the gathered Death Eaters and besieged defenders alike at the sight. As the body gained through the darkest of magic died the inky black wraith of Voldemort's soul rose from the remains. Inhuman screams of rage filled the night as the wraith tried to once again escape the boy who had struck it down.

Shaking his head in disgust Harry flicked his left wrist and the golden orb of energy before it rocketed away from his palm and toward the spirit of his parents' killer. The golden light encompassed the fleeing spirit in the blinking of an eye and both vanished with a flash of pure white. Tom Marvolo Riddle was gone and he would not be coming back.

Harry lowered his left arm and sighed. It was done. His moment of triumph was interrupted by the growing screams of the gathered Death Eaters around him. They were not the screams of outrage and denial he had expected however. Instead they were cries of pain and panic. It was Voldemort's last act as their master; for their failure to protect their master they too would die.

Harry could only blink and stare as one after another the dark wizards succumb to their final punishment and joined their master in death. That was certainly not what he expected, but he couldn't bring himself to really pity any of them. As the last anguished moan died out and he was left standing amid a field of death his eyes closed in search of peace.

Reflecting on his year of training in Camelot he tried to find an inner calm and ease away from his conflicting emotons. The battle was over and Voldemort vanquished yet he felt no relief. He thought about the many had died while he hid away training: Ron, Hermione, and Ginny and her parents. Opening his eyes he caught sight of the castle doors opening and a small group of people rushing toward him with Dumbledore in the lead. "Now come the questions." he thought bitterly. His eyes began to wonder over the bodies of the Death Eaters as he ignored the approaching headmaster. It was then he noticed the armband one of them wore. His eyes narrowed and he crouched next to the body relieving it of the device. "A Goa'uld shield device." He whispered to himself. _"So that's how they were able to so overwhelm the Order."_ echoed the afterthought in his mind.

Slipping the device into a pocket of his robe Harry stood and turned to face the Headmaster as he came to a halt along with Professor Flitwick, Mad-eye Moody and the Weasley twins. A tense silence hung over the six for a long moment as no one spoke. Then, without a word Dumbledore stepped forward and embraced Harry in a tight hug. Moody barked out a startled "Albus!" in utter dismay at his old friend's lack of caution while Filius simply smiled.

"I am ever so glad you're safe my boy." The old headmaster said quietly as he stepped back from Harry. "Though I suppose I cannot by rights call you a boy any longer can I? No one who has shouldered the responsibility and burden you have can be called any less than a man." he said proudly. Harry simply smiled and gave a brief nod.

"Bloody- "

" –Hell, Harry!" chorused Fred and George.

"Oh welcome back Mr. Potter!" Filius squeaked earnestly while Mad-eye simply patted Harry on the shoulder and grumbled something sounding suspiciously like "Well done."

* * *

A week after the Final Battle as it was being called found the world returning to a state of normalcy. Repairs to Diagon Alley and the Ministry of Magic were well underway and a State Funeral was held for all those loss in the "Two-Day Massacre".

Hogwarts was closed for the remainder of the year as so many professors had died in the battle.

It was after the people had settled down that their praise of the Boy-Who-Lived began, as it is want to do, to turn against him. The immediate relief at Voldemort's fall began to give way to grief-induced anger. The reports of how easily Harry Potter had dispatched the Dark Lord began to circulate and within no time cries of "Why didn't you do it sooner?" and "Where were you when my husband died!" began to fill the streets. The magical world had once again turned on its savior. The widows and orphans of the Death Eaters began to call for blood money from the boy who cost them their loved ones and the infinitely corrupt Ministry was going along with it.

So it was in utter disgust, and no small amount of grief, that Harry Potter left the Wizarding world with no intention of returning.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I did make a few changes to this chapter such Harry's animagus form. He just never struck me as a horse (Black Andalusian)._**  
**_

_**Chapter 1: Run-in in the Jungle**_

* * *

_**SGC...**_

Daniel sighed and rubbed his eyes behind his glasses. Sometimes he felt that the only way he would ever get a point across to Jack is if he had it planted in an episode of _The Simpsons_. "What I'm saying, Jack, is that it's likely that the Ancient device Telchak used to create the original Sarcophagus technology may very well still be on Earth." he repeated while trying to keep his aggravation out of his voice. "The notes Nick had on the Fountain of Youth fit with what little we know of Telchak and his time here." Daniel concluded, yet again, before looking around at the others for support. Sam was nodding in understanding as was her father Jacob. Teal'c and Bra'tac nodded to one another before looking toward General Hammond who seemed to be thinking over everything. Then there was Jack. Jack had that classic glassy eyed look he always got when the details of a briefing had gotten too boring for him. Daniel just resumed his sigh and eye-rub routine.

"Dr. Jackson do you believe you can find and retrieve this device based on what you know?" asked the General. Daniel knew that tone of voice and sat up straighter. This was one of the reasons that the General was so well respected by those under him. The man always considered everything he was told. In a situation like the one they were facing with Anubis' new super-soldier it would be easy for a military man to look only for a better way to blow them up. Daniel truly believed that with any other commander his suggestion might have been waved off, but not with Hammond.

"Yes General. My grandfather kept very detailed notes. With them and a local guide I have no doubt I would be able to locate the temple." Daniel responded. He watched as the General looked around the briefing room table at those gathered.

"Very well. Dr. Jackson you have a go. Take Doctor Lee with you incase the device isn't something that can be easily retrieved. SG-1, I would like you to work with Bra'tac and Jacob to come up with a plan to possibly capture one of these super-soldiers. We need to know more than what we have from the corpse of the other one. Dismissed." Orders handed out the General rose with a nod to everyone and went back to his office. Daniel quickly pushed back his chair and gathered his notes while the others began discussing their assignment.

"Daniel, be safe out there. South America isn't exactly the friendliest of places at times." Jack offered quietly before the archeologist could make his way out of the room. Daniel just grinned with a nod and left. He needed to find Dr. Lee as quick as possible so they could get on their way.

As he navigated the labyrinth-like hallways of the SGC he couldn't help but succumb to one of his few childish flaws: professional egotism. Oh he would never admit it to himself much less to others, but Daniel loved to be the one to discover something considered to be a myth. Snuggled deep down in the archeologists subconscious was a little kid that did a little victory dance and cried out "I told you so!" every time something like this came up. The idea of one day being able to publish his already impressively long list of discoveries and rubbing it in the archeological communities face always brought a vicious smile to that subconscious kid's face.

"Dr. Jackson? Did…you need something?" the voice of Dr. Lee snapped Daniel out of his thoughts. Blinking he realized he was already standing in the doorway to the lab Dr. Lee regularly worked in.

"Huh. Uh yes." he stammered as he adjusted his glasses on his nose and moved fully into the lab. Standing across a large lab table from the seated Dr. Lee he set his notepad and file folders down. "General Hammond has assigned us," he gestured between himself and Lee, "to travel to Honduras and into the jungle to locate the Fountain of Youth."

"_The expression on Lee's face was worth the delay the confusion this caused." _Daniel thought to himself. "Uh you see we believe that the Fountain of Youth may actually be an Ancient Healing device left behind by the Goa'uld Telchak. The Tok'ra informed us that Telchak was the Goa'uld who built the original sarcophagus and it's that technology that Anubis is now utilizing to create his super-soldiers." He quickly briefed the scientist. _"There it is."_ He mentally grinned. Where before Lee had the confused look of someone who had just heard the Ancient language spoken for the first time he now had the look of someone whose passion for something had been sparked. Grudgingly he suspected this was a similar look to the one Jack always teased him about.

Then it dawned on the good Dr. Lee. "Wait. You said the General wants me to go with you to… Honduras?" he blinked owlishly from behind his squared glasses.

"Ye-eah. So listen we don't have a lot of time. The General is arranging our travel information, but we leave as soon as possible. The gear required will be provided, but we need pack clothes appropriate for a jungle trek. If you don't have a good pair of hiking boots I'd suggest you find some." Daniel commented as he began to once again gather his things. "Be back here and in the briefing room by…" he started before glancing down at his watch. As he approached the still open doorway he concluded, "seventeen-hundred hours." With his final proclamation Daniel left the lab and started on the way to his office. _"God I hope Nick's notes are accurate."_ he thought with a wince.

* * *

_**New Godric's Hollow...**_

Staring at the collection of notes before him Harry began to formulate his plans. He had to admit he was impressed at the research that Nicholas Ballard had conducted. So many people had spent lifetimes searching in all the wrong places, and yet this one man who was mostly ostracized by his colleagues had apparently figured it out. "The Fountain of Youth. If that isn't some sort of alien technology run amok I'll eat my wand." he commented to himself with a chuckle. Double checking his conclusions from the scorned academic Harry began to make the necessary arrangements for a short trip to Honduras. _"A couple days vacation away from here will do me good anyway."_ he thought while booking plane tickets.

In fact it had been nearly two months since he had last left the grounds of New Godric's Hollow for any reason outside shopping or catching a movie at the local cinema. The now twenty-three year old savior-turned-pariah enjoyed the quiet life he lived now. However, one man's idea of "quiet" is sometimes different from the next. Most people would not consider being a rather well known Relic Hunter to be a quiet life for example. Most would not consider having connections with certain underground markets of questionable legality to be a quiet life. Yet, for the once Boy-Who-Lived, twice Savior of the Wizarding world, and many times scorned and ridiculed "failure" of said world this was a nice and quiet life he had forged.

Harry rarely thought of "the old days" any more. While he stayed up-to-date with the Wizarding world and routinely used magic in his life the pain of his past had finally been buried. After the fall of Voldemort and his subsequent leaving of the magical community Harry had floundered in grief and guilt for nearly a year while sequestering himself within the empty halls of Camelot. Only a few awkward visits to Remus and the twins had broken his solitude. The guilt he felt over the losses at the Final Battle was nearly crippling for him until one evening he rediscovered the Goa'uld shield device he had taken from the Death Eaters. That had been the turning point for the troubled youth. Then eighteen he realized that if those devices were hidden where Voldemort could find them there could be other alien artifacts left on earth too. Harry's path was set; he would find and collect any artifacts left on Earth so they could never fall into the wrong hands again.

His decision took him to Edgbaston in order to study in anthropology, archeology, and linguistics. Further into his studies he had come across the few and obscure published works of a Dr. Daniel Jackson from the United States and had been amazed by the man's insight. He became something of a role model for Harry in that he held true to his beliefs despite what the academic community said. Thus, he had decided to follow the man's educational path and received his triple-doctorate. He was the youngest graduate to ever obtain a PhD, much less three, from The University of Birmingham's Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity.

Most of the staff of the University simply believed Harry to be a prodigy and believed he would be the next great name in academia. He simply let them believe what they wanted as he cheated outrageously by utilizing Camelot's vast knowledgebase and a little magic to help him along. Between the languages housed in the Camelot database and his classes at University Harry was now familiar with, if not fluent in, twenty-one languages including Alteran and Goa'uld. Bill Weasley had been immensely helpful by tutoring him in basic cursebreaking, ancient wards and ways of detecting secret chambers and hidey-holes. All of his studies, however, were all for one purpose: to help him better locate and collect alien technology left behind in the annals of history.

Harry had begun his career while he was still working on his postgraduate studies. While researching a set of scrolls found in the latest excavation of Hadrian's Wall he came across a portion written in Ancient. It described a small outpost located somewhere amid the peaks of The Corbetts in Scotland. Intrigued at the possibility of an outpost so near where Camelot itself lay he had set out to do a little mountain climbing. While the adventure had been a bust in regards to technology it had proven a goldmine of more mundane antiquities. The outpost had been stripped by the Ancients, but the Romans had used it as a secret spying post and many artifacts remained from their occupation. Among the artifacts was a chest buried under the stone flooring of the building which contained a hansom supply of jewels and coins. It was this portion of the find that introduced Harry to the Antiquities Black Market.

Little had he ever suspected that such artifacts were in popular demand among muggle and wizard alike. However, the idea of extorting ridiculous sums of galleons from antique-crazy wizards appealed greatly to the one-time-hero.

Thus the Boy-Who-Lived began making a name for himself by being one of the only Relic Hunters to deal with both the muggle and magical worlds. In fact, he was rather well known for facilitating exchanges between the two. In the muggle world he was known by his given name of Harry James Potter, but to the Wizarding world he was now Patrick Anderson. The name was an obvious give way to a lack of Pureblood standing and thus perfect for dealings that remained out of the spotlight.

After graduation Harry had decided to spend some of his steadily growing wealth, along with his existing vault of galleons, to rebuild his families' ancestral home of Godric's Hollow. Christened "New Godric's Hollow" in a bought of incredible creativity the manor home was perfect reflection of its master. The mingling of muggle and magical construction provided him with all the creature comforts of both worlds as well as the protections.

In a final favor to Harry before his passing earlier in the year Dumbledore had even helped cast the Fidelius Charm over the manor and grounds. With protection from prying eyes he was able to enjoy his new home without fear of reporters or anyone else who might want to bother him. All in all the life of Harry Potter had taken a distinct turn for the better over the past six years.

It was the potential find of his latest research that currently had him the most excited though. Finding a copy of Nicholas Ballard's research on the Fountain of Youth had been a complete fluke, but not an unwelcome one. Harry had long since learned the value of investigating the studies of those shunned for their "out there" ideas. The fact that Ballard was reportedly related to Daniel Jackson in some way had only furthered his credibility in Harry's opinion. So when he discovered that Ballard's research on the fountain led him to a temple of devoted to Telchak he knew that the man had been onto something of alien origins. While Merlin's records on the Goa'uld occupation of Earth were sketchy at best they did provide a fairly accurate list of which Goa'uld has spent time on the planet, what areas they claimed, and anything they might have been note worthy over. The fact that Telchak was credited with the original sarcophagus designs gave a great deal of credence to the idea that the fountain might be connected to him somehow.

Harry completed his preparations for his journey and settled himself in for a good night's sleep rather pleased with the idea of his upcoming adventure. Despite everything that had happened to him in his relatively short life he found that he could still have a child-like enjoyment of certain things. It was one of his professors at the IAA that pointed out the similarities between Harry the night before leaving for an expedition and a child the night before going to Disney World. While he had outwardly scoffed at the idea and presented a "I am not acting like a child" defense he was inwardly pleased at what he considered to be an exceedingly normal attitude.

* * *

_**Honduras...**_

The locals of the small village were beginning to wonder if they had missed something important. In less than three days they had been witness to no less than three separate groups of white men asking for guides to nearly the exact same locations. Speculation ran rampant over the sudden interest in a rather plain, and ruin-free, portion of the jungle. When the first two men had arrived they were easily dismissed by most. They were obviously American scientists of some sort. They had seen a fair share of these types come through their village over the years; all wanting a guide to show them the local ruins for study. The only thing abnormal about these visitors was that they did not want to be shown to the ruins like most, but rather to a specific spot in the jungle that held no ruins. Shrugged off and explained away as the Americans being botanists perhaps as opposed to archeologist the matter was soon forgotten.

The matter would have been completely erased from the minds of the villagers if it hadn't been for the arrival of another white man several days later. This one was younger than the other two had been, but appeared slightly more suited to traversing the dangers of the jungle. While he was disappointed to hear that the best guide to the spot he was looking for had already left he instantly became curious when he discovered it was due to another set of foreigners. Strangely enough the young man had vanished from the village and no one could seem to remember him leaving.

Two more Americans showed up in the village the day following the strange young man's visit and the locals started going nuts with curiosity. The fact that Rogelio, the guide for the first two Americans, had not yet returned only added fuel to the fire of gossip. The whole thing was the popular conversation topic for another two days until Rogelio returned to tell a harrowing tale of his escape at the hands of guerilla fighters. Oddly, no one in the village seemed to wonder what had become of the five tourists and Rogelio had provided more than enough monetary incentive to forget them. He was rather pleased at how everything had turned out even if it had gotten him shot.

* * *

"_Sometimes,"_ Harry reflected internally as he lifted his arms, hands open, above his head, _"I really need to pay more attention to the world around me."_ His emerald green eyes focused solely on the man aiming what appeared to be a rather formidable automatic weapon at him. Graying hair did little to dissuade Harry that the man was anything but dangerous. _"It's in his eyes."_ He mentally noted as he assessed the man. Average height and build yet obviously in top physical shape even for his apparent age. His accent clearly defined him as an American. _"One of the two the villagers mentioned?"_ he idly wondered as he waited for the man to make the next move. 

"Who are you?" Jack barked the question in his usual brusque manor. He didn't like the fact that this kid showed up right where Daniel had vanished, and he wanted answers.

"The name's Harry Potter. I'm an archeologist and I'm unarmed. Please, lower your weapon…I'm no danger to you." Harry responded in an even and calm tone. _"At least no danger to you from a muggle standpoint."_ he added mentally. It was true too; he was absolute rubbish with muggle weapons and fighting. Sure he had the agility and reflexes to hold his own in a brawl, but he had no delusions concerning his ability to combat anyone even remotely trained in the art.

"Well Harry Potter mind telling me what you're doin' here?" Jack snapped back at the kid. He didn't even dignify the request to lower his P90 with a verbal response much less actually doing it. It was then that he noticed Burke making his way around behind the kid in the background. "Don't suppose you've seen two other Americans poking around here have you?"

An eyebrow rose at the last question. _"So he's not from the first group."_ Harry noted. His interest in the whole situation started overtaking the annoyance and headache the entire day had brought him. What else could you call finding your destination completed submerged in water? Trekking through the jungle had been enjoyable, but the last day of wandering aimlessly looking for one specific waterfall had begun to fray the edges of his patience. Add to the situation being held at gunpoint and you have one disgruntled wizard. "Er…as I said," he finally responded, "I'm an archeologist. I'm here following a lead on an undiscovered set of ruins." he concluded by pointing to the stone formation next to him that was filled with water.

Jack's eyes slid from the kid to what appeared to be a very full stone well. His eyebrow rose as his eyes slid back to meet the emerald gaze of the young man. "Nice." he stated simply.

Harry fidgeted slightly. "Yes. Er…well it wasn't supposed to be…well…full of water you see." He suddenly found himself feeling like he was back at Hogwarts trying to explain to McGonagall why he hadn't completed his homework. "Anyway to answer your other question: no I haven't seen anyone else out here. I did half expect to though since the villagers told me a pair of Americans had come in this same direction." Perhaps offering this tidbit of information would help ease the older man's obvious mistrust.

Jack's eyes shifted ever-so-slightly over the kid's right shoulder to focus on Burke. The CIA operative, busily chewing his ever-present gum, tilted his head to one side and shrugged. _"Helpful as ever Burke."_ he thought in consternation. With a sigh he lowered the barrel of the P90 into a ready position and gestured for the kid to drop his arms. "You can put your arms down kid. I'm not gonna shoot you unless you do something stupid."

Feeling a great deal more confidant without a gun pointed at his chest Harry lowered his arms. "So…I'm going to take a guess that you're looking for the two guys the villagers mentioned?" he questioned. Something about the situation had caught his interest. The man was obviously either active or retired military judging by his bearing and clothing. _"Two other Americans, scientists by description, are missing…" _he mused over the situation.

"Yep." came a second distinctly American voice from behind Harry causing him to flinch and inwardly slap himself for the second time in less than ten minutes.

"Name's Jack O'Neill and that's Burke." the older of the men motioned to his rather stealthy, in Harry's opinion, companion.

Nodding to both men in acknowledgement he quickly assessed the newcomer. The rather large weapon in his arms seemed a bit out of place with his too-casual appearance. The man could be nothing other than some form of spook. His few experiences with MI-6 agents was enough to recognize the signs. _"What are a spook and a military man doing in the middle of the jungle?"_ he wondered. That's when it hit him: missing American scientists plus the military and spooks looking for them equaled hostages.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess you think they've been taken hostage?" Harry inquired while shoving his hands in the pockets of his cargo pants.

Jack couldn't help but be slightly impressed with the kid. He'd obviously put the pieces together quickly. "That's what we've been lead to believe. We found a few pieces of their gear near here to confirm it. Know anything?"

Burke made his way around to stand near Jack as he appraised the kid. Something was familiar about the guy, but he couldn't place it. He seemed familiar somehow. _"If he's an archeologist I might've seen him before."_ he considered. _"Oh well, a mystery for another time."_

"I did some preliminary research on the local factions before heading into the jungle." Harry nodded. "They're mostly based just inside the border of Nicaragua not to much further south from here."

To say Jack was impressed further would be an understatement. This obviously young kid had thought to look up information on the guerilla factions. The concept triggered his suspicious side however. "No offense, but aren't you a little young to be out here by yourself? Even I'm not stupid enough to go it alone out here."

"_Oh bugger."_ he thought with a sigh. Things were getting more and more complicated. "I've done a lot of traveling in jungles." he answered with a shrug.

"Riight. Well we'll let you get back to your rocks then." Jack motioned to Burke and the two men moved off into the jungle.

Harry blinked as the two men moved away. _"Get back to my rocks?"_ he wondered. The entire encounter left him baffled, but it did spur him into action. In a situation where American scientists, US military spooks, and guerilla fighters were all heading for what promised to be an explosive confrontation he had no desire to stick around much longer.

Looking back to the stone entrance to the temple he sighed. "I didn't really want to go swimming today." he muttered while stripping off his shirt and setting it on his rucksack. A quick glance over the area ensured that the two muggles were gone before he made a gesture at his head to cast a Bubble Head charm at himself before jumping down into the flooded temple opening.

Pulling his wand from his cargo pocket he cast a quick Lumos spell to light the darkened passageways. Swimming through the tight passages of the submerged temple proved to be slightly more difficult than he had anticipated. He got the distinct impression that the flooding was actually rather recent as there was no indication of aquatic flora or fauna present. As he reached the main chamber of the temple he wedged his still glowing wand into a crevice in the nearest wall and began inspecting the room. The presence of Goa'uld and Mian writing confirmed that there was some sort of alien device hidden in the temple. When he had completed translating the writings he realized why the temple was now flooded; someone had tripped the booby trap protecting the artifact. _"Not good."_ He cursed to himself. The lack of floating bodies and the open and empty chamber in the floor confirmed his fears that the device had been taken already._ "It must have been the American scientists. Merlin; this has soo many ways it can go bad."_ He thought with no small amount of annoyance.

Navigating his way back out of the temple Harry quickly dried himself and dispelled the Bubble Head charm. He knew he was going to have to track down the Americans and try to figure out some way to get the device back. Any alien device that gave rise to the fable of the Fountain of Youth was just a bit too powerful to let fall into the wrong hands.

Slipping his t-shirt back on and shouldering his rucksack Harry headed off in the direction he had last seen the two men moving in. It was on journeys like this one after being slapped in the face by vegetation and scratched by thorns that he nearly kicked himself for not thinking of it sooner. What good was it being an animagi if he didn't use it? Problem was, a black leopard sort of stuck out in England.

After morphing into his form, things went smoother and he loped swiftly Southward following the Americans trail.

It proved to be far harder to track the muggles than he had expected. They were obviously highly skilled as they left almost no tracks to be followed. Their scent helped a bit but it was often hard to pick out among all the other variety of jungle odors. If it hadn't been for his discovery of the wounded guide he might not have found them at all. After questioning the guide about the four Americans he Obliviated any memory of his passing and moved on. It was when he began to hear gunfire that he realized that things were about to get messy.

As quietly as possible, Harry began to make his way toward the gunfire and subsequent shouting. When the sound of running footsteps began to get louder and louder he ducked behind a tree. Two men, the American scientists by the look of them, ran past his position before stopping for a brief breather. Casting a quick Disillusionment Charm over himself he quickly moved into a position to quietly follow the two in hopes of finding the device. _"Though,"_ he thought wryly to himself, _"at the moment they appear to have bigger problems than where the device is."_ The distinct thud of bullets hitting the nearby trees only served to punctuate the thought.

A heart-racing chase ensued through the jungle has the men separated in an attempt to draw their pursuers away from the less fit of the two. Harry felt an instant liking for the man, _"Jackson I think the short one called him"_, who offered to draw off their captors. With a flick of his wrist Harry placed a Notice-me-not charm around the exhausted and injured man before moving to follow the other. It was a tense moment when a bullet ripped into Jackson's leg and brought his attacker into a stones throw distance. Just as Harry was about to stun the guerilla fighter he noticed the man named O'Neill move out from behind his cover and open fire. It was over in the blink of an eye. _"That's an impressive gun."_ he couldn't help but think as he surveyed the felled man's body.

"Where's Lee?" O'Neill asked as he helped Jackson to his feet and gave him a shoulder to lean on.

"Back that way." the younger of the two answered with a gesture.

Realizing the danger had passed Harry moved quickly back to the man, Lee as he now knew him, to remove the Notice-me-not charm. Now that the men were safe he hoped they would lead him to the device so he could take it and get out of this forsaken jungle. He began making mental plans to investigate any and all possible American activity in the area of his next trip just to be safe. The raven haired man crouched silently near the balding American to wait.

"Dr. Lee?" he could hear Jackson shouting in the distance.

"Here! I'm over here!" the short man called back while struggling to his feet.

Soon both O'Neill and Jackson appeared in the clearing. Jackson leaned against the trunk of a nearby tree while O'Neill moved to aid Lee. "So did you find it Daniel?" Jack asked while examining Lee's injuries. Harry's eyes went wide. _"Daniel Jackson? Doctor Daniel Jackson? Bloody hell."_ He began trying to figure out the odds of running into his academic role model in the middle of a jungle in Nicaragua.

"Yeah we did Jack. It's back at the guerilla's camp. It's definitely what we're looking for though I didn't get a lot of time to decipher the Ancient written on it." The youngest of the three responded.

"So they were the ones to take the device. Great now it shouldn't be too hard to…" Harry blinked. "Wait. What? Did he say 'decipher the Ancient written on it'?" He blinked again.

"So you think it really is what Telecheck used to make the sarcophagus then?" Jack questioned as he bandaged Lee's ribs.

Daniel sighed before responding, "It's Telchak, and if what we saw when the guerilla's leader turned it on then there's no doubt it's what we're looking for."

Lee nodded with a wince as Jack secured the bandages tightly around his chest. "I agree with Dr. Jackson. The regenerative abilities, as well as the nasty side effects are proof enough. I'd say it's damned dangerous though. Its power seems to be a lot more concentrated than anything we've ever seen from a sarcophagus."

Harry's mind was in overdrive. These Americans, including Dr. Jackson, knew about the Ancients and Goa'uld technology. _"But how?"_ the question rang in his mind. Before he could consider the current revelations much further gunfire again began to echo and bullets sailed through the clearing. Harry ducked as he saw the approaching gunman open fire again. The echo of O'Neil's return fire deafened Harry as he watched the guerilla fighter's chest before riddled with bullets. There was no way he was prepared for what he saw next. The man he had just seen gunned down stood up. It was then that Harry noticed the milky white appearance of the eyes and the blank expression on the man's face. He gasped loudly followed by an exclamation of "Infiri!"

Three heads spun around to state at the apparently empty space behind them where Harry stood disillusioned. He didn't get a chance to say or do anything before gunfire again filled the clearing causing all four of them to duck for cover yet again. He was about to unleash an Incendio upon the creature whose presence baffled him when the entire area was rocked by an explosion. A moment later when debris stopped falling over him he looked up to find the Infiri gone and a small crater in its place. Off in the distance he could make out a madly grinning Burke who simply called out, "Man ya'll are into some crazy shit!" Harry agreed whole heartedly.

Much to his frustration O'Neill ordered Daniel and Lee to stay put while he looked around for the source of the voice they'd heard before the explosion. Things were getting out of hand quickly and Harry had more questions than answers. This was a condition that ever since his fifth year in Hogwarts had always burned out every last ounce of his patience. So it was with no small amount of annoyance that four red beams of light cascaded out from his hand to strike the Americans and knock them out cold. Removing the disillusionment charm from himself Harry moved to where Jackson lay crumbled against a tree trunk. A wave of his wrist sent an Incarcerous spell at Jackson who was bound in sturdy ropes and was quickly followed by an Ennervate. Crouching to eye level Harry waited for Daniel to recover his senses.

"Ugg…who Zat'd me?" Daniel murmured as he came to. Harry raised an eyebrow at the question but remained quiet. Daniel soon realized he was bound and looked up to face emerald eyes staring intently at him. "I'm having a lousy week." he said with no small amount of chagrin in his voice.

"Dr. Jackson it's a pleasure to meet you. Please excuse the rudeness of what I'm about to do, but… _Legilimens_!" Before Daniel could react Harry was already searching through his memories. Scenes of the SGC, Goa'uld, Anubis' super-soldiers, and the Ancient device flashed through his mind like a movie on fast forward. He was shocked to say the least. _"The US Airforce has the Stargate?"_ he thought with a great sense of unease as he released Daniel from the spell.

"What the hell did you just do to me?" Jackson demanded.

His attention drawn back to the present situation Harry sighed. "I'm sorry Dr. Jackson. I had to know how you knew about the device and why you were searching for it. Hmmm… Perhaps it's best left as is, for now."

Daniel blinked. "How do you know about the device?" he asked with ever narrowing eyes. He had dealt with Goa'uld on Earth one too many times not to be instantly suspicious.

"I'm afraid that's not for you to know at the moment. _Obliviate!_" he responded. As Jackson's eyes glazed over in the after-effects of the memory modification Harry ended the Incarcerous. Casting another disillusionment charm over himself he enervated the four and moved quietly back out of the clearing.

Harry watched from a distance as the group recovered and moved on to reclaim the Ancient device from the guerilla encampment. He wasn't entirely certain how he felt about the whole situation. The idea that any military was in control of the Stargate gave him a bad feeling, and the fact that the Goa'uld of all races knew the gate was unburied set even worse on his conscious. He needed to know more about this Stargate Command and he needed to know soon. _"But how?"_ was the question that kept echoing through his mind.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 2: Of Aliens and Lost Cities**_

* * *

_**Seven Years Ago…**_

The door slid open quietly only a moment after his finger left the wall panel. Beyond the threshold a chamber much like the one he had just left sat in darkness. Slow and cautious steps carried him past the doorway and triggering the lights of the room. It was nearly identical to the one he had left only a moment prior with a few small exceptions. Where the previous holographic chamber was "decorated" in brownish and off-white colors this room featured gold and marbled-black hues. In the previous room the raised platform in the center had only a small pedestal on it but here a desk of some sort and chair seemed to be the prominent feature.

Harry made his way to the platform, and examined the desk. The top of the desk appeared flat and common-place, but attached below it was what he could only compare to a muggle computer's keyboard. Dozens of small crystal-like "keys" filled a space he guessed to be about two or two and a half feet in length. The entire thing seemed to be attached to the desk on an extendable tray so allow easy storage under the desk. It was frankly unlike anything he'd seen before, but that was rapidly becoming an over-used and cliché realization for him.

He next eyed the chair dubiously. It was odd looking to say the least. At first glance the chair looked like a throne made of black marble with veins of gold throughout it. Thick armrests ended in an octagonal shape with what looked suspiciously like a jelly-filled bubbles in the center. There even appeared to be a footrest of sorts at the base of the throne-chair. With a shrug of rapidly growing indifference to the strangeness of the situation Harry plopped down in the chair.

The lights in the room dimmed just as they had at Hogwarts when he touched the pedestal and Harry looked up in time to watch a shimmering column of light coalesce into the image of Moros.

"Greetings and welcome to Camelot." the hologram stated in a stiff and formal tone. "If you have arrived here then you have been judged and found worthy of the knowledge contained within this great city."

Leaning forward in the chair Harry couldn't help but perk up a bit. "What do you mean by 'judged and found worthy'?" he asked in a suspicious tone.

"In order to have arrived here you were asked by to submit to a test. While to you the test would have only seemed like a brief moment of pressure around your mind it was, in actuality, far more." the hologram began.

"A close friend of mine teaches her students that 'The true nature of a man is determined in the battle between his conscious mind and his subconscious.' The test you underwent scanned your mind and memories both conscious and subconscious to determine your true nature."

Harry blinked at the statement. _"The battle between my subconscious and conscious?"_ he wondered. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand. You said it scanned my memories and I can see how that might be able to tell you if I was a good person or not, but what's the deal with the conscious and subconscious?" The hologram actually seemed to smirk at the question which made Harry question just how interactive this thing was.

"Answer me this: A man sees a child leaning over a well and about to fall in. The man recognizes the child as the son of the village's mayor and rushes to save him before he falls into the well. Why did he save the child?"

"Er…" was the incredibly articulate response Harry managed to provide. "I don't under…he did it to save the kid didn't he?"

"Perhaps, or perhaps he did it to gain favor or reward from the mayor for the rescue of their child. The motives behind the action speak louder than the action itself."

Harry stared at the man and understanding started to come. "So…in the test, when it looked at my memories, it also looked at why I did what I did in them?"

"Precisely. The test is one of the most difficult to pass I have ever devised because there is no hiding behind false intentions or half-truths. You are laid bare before it to determine if you are worthy of the power, and responsibility, that comes with access to Camelot."

This revelation gave him a bit to consider. He had obviously passed the test, and yet he knew that at times his motives had not been what someone might consider pure. He recalled his attempt at using the Cruciatus curse on Bellatrix and couldn't help but wonder just how accurate Merlin's test was. In one of his rare "Slytherin moments" as he was starting to call them he decided not to voice that question. _"Better to leave well-enough alone."_ he realized.

Looking back to the hologram he realized that it was staring at him as if waiting for something. It was then that he remembered his earlier thought about the level of interaction this hologram displayed over the previous one. "Uhm, if you don't mind my saying so…you seem a lot more, er… conversational than the other…uh…you." he finished lamely.

The holographic Moros smirked and replied with a simple, "Of course I am." Harry's blank stare caused the holograph to actually sigh. "The first thing to understand is that the chamber you encountered within your school was small and designed for one purpose only. The complexity of the hologram there was limited to only what it required to fulfill it's goal."

Harry couldn't help but interrupt. "What goal? I mean, I know the hologram said it was supposed to wait for the first person to find it, but that seems kinda odd to me. Anyone could've found it." For what seemed the hundredth time that evening Harry's words had sparked a moment of inspired thought. "Why hadn't anyone ever found that place before?"

The hologram grinned. "While the answer to that is simple, the understanding to make the answer clear is not. Do you recall what the other hologram told you about our two races and their evolution?"

"Er…kinda."

"I shall attempt to make this as simple as possible for now. As any species, be it plant or animal, evolves they become more complex. At some stage the species may develop higher brain function as opposed to the simplistic primal instincts and thoughts of normal animals. This is what separates what most people consider the 'sentient races' from normal animals. However, that isn't where things stop. As a sentient race continues to advance their DNA and brain function do as well becoming ever-more complex."

Seeing Harry nod in understanding Moros continued.

"When a sentient species reaches a certain evolutionary state their mind begins to understand their body better; or rather that which makes up their body: energy. Energy is the one thing that can no be destroyed – only altered. At first the understanding is primal, instinctual and there is little evidence of it. However, with further evolution the primal instincts may begin to utilize the connection the mind and body have with its basic energy when in need. Greater healing, enhanced senses such as eyesight or hearing are examples of this as well as a longer life expectancy."

Again nodding his understanding Harry began to see where Moros' explanation was going. "So basically you're saying that at some point all sentient races are able to begin manipulating energy even if they don't realize they're doing it?"

"Exactly. Very good. Now, as the other hologram told you the Terran race, your race as we called you, began to reach this point of evolution far, far before any other sentient race we had ever encountered including our own. We believe this is due to the nature of your planet and the absence of a key element commonly known as Naqahdah. The massive amounts of 'free energy' on your planet allowed for what one of our scientists called a 'super-evolution' in the area of energy control and manipulation. However, this is not the answer to your original question.

There is a second layer to the evolution of sentient races. Where the first, as we just discussed, opens the mind to the true nature of energy, the second opens it to the true nature of itself. This level of evolution, to describe it simply, makes the mind more effective in all its functions. Along with this stage of evolution comes the development of a unique gene within the species DNA."

The hologram stopped as Harry took on a slight look of confusion. "Which part have I confused you with?"

Harry blushed. "Well, I basically understand what you're saying. It's just that I haven't had much of a muggle education and what I did have never really got so detailed into muggle science."

Moros seemed to consider that for a moment before nodding. "Then to simplify: when a species reaches that level of evolution their blood takes on an addition characteristic. This new characteristic actually does almost nothing in and of itself. However, my race discovered a way to use it to isolate who was able to use our technology. Something like a key which only our people possessed and was hidden within our blood."

This was a concept Harry could grasp easily thanks to his knowledge, all be it limited, of blood wards in the magical world. "Ok, I actually understood that." he replied with a lopsided grin.

Chuckling at the boy the hologram went on with his explanation. "The chamber and hallway leading to it in your school were what you might call 'invisible' to anyone who did not possess the level of evolutionary advancement to have the gene I spoke of. Only a Terran who was advanced enough genetically would be able to find the hallway and access the chamber."

Seeing the hologram had concluded his explanation Harry mulled over everything he had just learned. It was obvious that he was the first person in Hogwarts to have the right gene to find the hallway, but it seemed hard to believe. As he considered the situation he realized that with the number of students who routinely wander the school the explanation had to be true. _"The chamber would have been found a dozen times over this year alone if it weren't true."_ he realized. _"Great. One more thing that makes me different."_ came the follow-up thought. It was this realization that finally brought all his exhaustion to bear. His eyelids became heavy and it felt like every muscle in his body was calling for a surrender to sleep.

Noticing the change in the boy the holographic Moros cleared its non-existent throat to get his attention. "Given the time and your apparent need for sleep I suggest we conclude this after you have rested. Once the outer door of the chamber opens follow the hallway to the left until you come to the first door. There you will find a room you may rest in until I can further teach you about the city."

With a weak "thank you" the exhausted teen stood up and the hologram vanished. At the opposite end of the room a panel slid back revealing a doorway and a well lit hallway beyond. Harry's mind barely took in his surroundings as he followed the directions he'd been given. _"Time to explore later, sleep now"_ was the most coherent explanation he could provide himself for his lack of interest in the surroundings. Reaching the door to the room Moros told him to find he didn't even stop to look around the large room as he went straight for the bed in the far corner.

* * *

_**Present Day, Camelot…**_

His steady pace through the hallways of Camelot made the trip from the docking bay to the holo-chamber a quick one. He needed Moros' advice, and the sooner he got it the better. Not even slowing his pace he slipped through the still-opening door to the chamber and toward the chair. As soon as the door closed he lights dimmed and Moros appeared.

"Well you seem to be in a hurry today." the hologram commented with a bit of curiosity.

"Yeah...I got a bit of a shock a few days ago. The Stargate has been uncovered and is apparently in the possession of the United States Airforce."

Whatever response Harry might have been expecting it was not Moros' simple "Which one?" query. It took a moment for him to even comprehend what the holographic man was asking. "What do you mean 'which one'? I could've sworn you said a planet could only have one active Stargate."

"I did say that yes. However, that does not preclude a planet from having multiple gates. Earth, to be precise, has had three StarGates. The first was lost to us when the planet entered into the ice age just prior to Atlantis' departure. The second, if I recall correctly, fell into a volcano somewhere in what is now the Pacific Ocean, and the third is the gate that was buried in Egypt."

"What difference does it make?" he asked with a bit of annoyance.

"None in-so-far as the gate itself is concerned. However, if they located the gate lost in what is now the Antarctic then there is a chance, though slight, that they found one of our outposts as well."

Harry blanched at the thought. It was bad enough that any military had control of a gate and was traipsing around the universe with it, but an Alteran Outpost too? "Yeah that would be bad." he stated the situation rather eloquently. "Though the whole thing just gets better; they've been using the gate and apparently have hacked off a Goa'uld named Anubis in the process. They were in Honduras looking…" he stopped mid-sentence as he noticed the expression on Moros' holographic face. "What?"

"You said the Goa'uld's name was Anubis? Are you positive?"

"Yeah. I looked at the memories of…okay that's a long story, but to cut it short I looked at the memories of one of the men involved and the Goa'uld involved was named Anubis. Why?"

The hologram actually seemed pensive as it stood silent for several minutes. A sigh escaped its holographic lips as finally replied, "I'm afraid I can't tell you anything. I'm sorry."

"Er…why not?" Harry asked with no small amount of confusion. It was the first time he had ever been denied an answer the hologram was capable of giving.

"Do you recall the lesson I once gave you on the ultimate fate of the Alterans and how I, or rather the real Moros, was able to seemingly live for thousands of years?"

With a nod Harry confirmed the memory. "Yeah you said they had 'ascended' or rather reached the point in evolution where they had finally mastered the energy of their own existence. There was something about throwing off the corporeal body too if I remember."

"Yes. The simple explanation is that the Alteran people finally reached a point where the mind and body were so closely linked along with the understanding of the energy which makes up life that they ascended to a higher state of being. While I have little knowledge of what comes after one ascends I can say that the power and knowledge available to an ascended being is immense."

Something about Moros' last comment seemed off to Harry. If he had the full knowledge of Moros' life why would he have 'little knowledge' of ascension? "Why don't you know?" he asked, interrupting what the hologram was about to say.

"As I was about to explain," Moros began with a slight huff, "the Ascended Alterans realized quickly that there was a huge potential for disaster if an ascended being were to interfere with the 'lesser races' in the corporeal realm – or rather the regular universe. Thus they created highly strict laws governing ascension and interaction with the universe. Those laws are why I have little knowledge stored on ascension and why I can not comment further on the Goa'uld Anubis."

Harry squinted at the hologram. If ever he had heard someone skirt a fine line of the rules it was just then. "You can't comment further on Anubis except to say you can't comment because it's covered by the laws of ascension? Sneaky Moros, very sneaky."

The hologram gave a rather startling and feral grin. It simply didn't look right on the old man's face. "I believe you will find that the real Moros was quiet masterful at skirting around the rules his fellows set. While prior to ascension Moros was a strict leader he never wavered from his beliefs. It was those beliefs that lead him to retake his corporeal form just prior to the time he met your four founders, and then again later after your school was completed."

Raising an eyebrow at this new revelation Harry began to wonder exactly why Merlin, or Moros rather, would dance such a fine line. However, he had more important issues to deal with than quirky ancients and higher planes of existence. "Alright, but getting back on the subject here… Earth could be in a lot of trouble if what I saw is correct."

It took him nearly an hour to fully detail his most recent adventure to the hologram. Explanations on how he came into possession of Nicholas Ballard's research notes raised a few questions he'd rather not have thought about the answers to. They had been hidden among a cache of Voldemort's own research on immortality. He and Dumbledore had gone through Voldemort's belongings. Harry'd made a point of confiscating anything that looked dangerous. Every time he thought about the connection between what he now knew was an Alteran Healing devices and Voldemort he couldn't help but shiver. It had been bad enough that the maniac had gotten his hands on a cache of Goa'uld shield devices in the ruins of a temple dedicated to Camulus. He'd made sure to collect those from the Death Eaters after the Final Battle.

Getting past the memories of the Final Battle that the train of thought had dredged up he continued explaining to how he had encountered the four Americans in Honduras. Strangely he didn't feel comforted when Moros made it abundantly clear that a healing device would not have been left just lying around on earth by the Alterans because it meant that there wasn't just Ancient technology left on Earth, but probably other planets as well. The idea of "Harry Potter: Intergalactic Relic Hunter" seemed a bit out of his realm of expertise. He couldn't help but snort at the thought though.

"I'm honestly not sure what to do. If the Goa'uld are actively threatening Earth then there's a whole new problem to worry about over just keeping alien technology away from power-hungry wizards." he began to drum his fingers on the desk in front of him. "Any suggestions?"

"I believe I told you many years ago that you had to make your own path. First, you chose the path that paralleled the prophecy." At this Moros' hologram snorted. The idea of divination still amused and insulted him. "You chose to seek out a way to stop Voldemort and thus I helped you along that path. Next, you chose to wallow in self-pity. That you didn't need any help with so I left you alone."

It never ceased to annoy Harry that Moros gave so much of his personality to a damn hologram. "I'm sure you're getting to a point soon old man?"

Managing to look insulted the hologram seemed to huff before continuing. "Now you have to choose whether to follow a new path or continue on the one you've been on. Do you keep up with your life collecting the leavings of alien species on your planet or do you seek out a way to help protect it more actively? Only you can decide Harry, but you know that I, and Camelot, will give you what aid we can."

Harry nodded and sat quietly for a moment. His thoughts turned inward to mull over the situation he stood and left the chamber intent on returning to Goldric's Hollow and his bed while he considered his options. If he hadn't been so deeply involved in his own thoughts he might have considered Moros' last words as odd in their referring to himself and the city separately. The fact that the hologram didn't vanish as usual when he stood and the room's lights returned to normal might have registered, and the thoughtful and slightly worried expression on the ancient man's face might have given him pause.

* * *

_**Present Day, SGC…**_

Jack was annoyed. He glanced at his watch for the fifth time in as many minutes before looking back to the oblivious man across the room. Finally, he'd had enough. "Oh for cryin' out loud Daniel! It's lunch time. Take a break. It's Chicken Alfredo day!"

The young man couldn't help but grin as he looked away from his computer's monitor to the agitated and arm-flailing form of his friend. "I always preferred Rosemary Chicken myself." he responded in a purposefully wistful tone before looking back to his research. _"5…4…3…2…"_

"Daniel, Up! Now!" Jack snapped as the last of his patience was put into an early grave at Daniel's latest comment.

"…_1. Damn, so close."_ he thought with a smirk before standing and stretching his cramped muscles. "Alright, alright. Lets get some lunch then you can let me get back to work."

As the two men wound their way through the byways of the SGC they discussed the progress of research on the Ancient device they had recovered in Honduras. Sam and her father Jacob had taken the device off-world to ensure the security of the project. They couldn't risk word getting back to Anubis before they had managed to adapt the technology into a weapon.

"I just sent the last of the translations on the device with SG-17 when they left for the Alpha Site a couple hours ago." Daniel commented as they joined the cafeteria line.

"Really? Then what, pray tell, are you working on now that held up lunch?" the older man asked with a waspish tone as he surveyed the sadly depleted options in the lunch line.

"Well I was looking into the man you said you met at the temple ruins. Harry Potter."

Jack raised an eyebrow at Daniel as he helped himself to the last plate of Chicken Alfredo. "For that you miss the good chicken. It's Salisbury Steak for you now."

Rolling his eyes Daniel took filled his tray and followed Jack to their usual table where Teal'c was already sitting. When they were seated Jack apologized to Teal'c for their tardiness by waving a fork at Daniel and commenting that "someone was playing Private eye".

"I am unfamiliar with this game O'Neill." came the stoic and potentially curious comment. Sometimes it was so damn difficult to figure out Teal'c's tones.

"He means I was busy looking up information on someone Teal'c." replied Daniel with a poorly hidden grin as they began to eat.

"Indeed. Whom do you seek further knowledge on?"

"Well, when we were in Honduras Jack said he and Agent Burke ran into another archeologist at the location of the temple where Telchak had hidden the Ancient Healing device. I was curious as to who he was that he knew where the temple was."

"And has your search been fruitful Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c inquired as he glared at Jack's attempt to steal his jello.

"Well it certainly brought up some interesting stuff." He replied while totally ignoring Jack's pouting face at his failed theft. "Turns out the guy's academic career closely resembles my own, but he's only twenty-three." This brought a raised eyebrow in his direction from Jack while Teal'c remained as stoic as ever. "Past that there isn't a lot of information. He's never published anything professionally, but he's participated in numerous digs across the globe. That usually means one thing: relic hunter."

"Good show. Too bad it's off the air now."

Daniel just rolled his eyes and continued. "Interpol actually had him on a watch list for a while for suspicion of black market activity. They never proved anything though and eventually dropped him from the list."

"So he's basically just another rock-crazed scientist who may or may not have shady friends. Fascinating." Jack drawled.

"That's what I thought at first too, but then I started reviewing the list of digs that he's been too. Among them, and see if you catch the pattern here, were temples devoted to Ra and Seth in Egypt, one devoted to Camulus just outside Essex, and a fortress said to have once belonged to Yu in China."

"Those are all Goa'uld Daniel Jackson." Teal'c offered with a raised eyebrow.

"Exactly, and that's just the short list. Before Jack interrupted me for lunch I was working on a compiled list of all the digs, finds, and artifacts the guy was connected to with our database of Goa'uld, and Asgard known to have visited Earth."

This comment caught Jack's attention. "So you think this guy might be hunting a bit more than antiques?"

"It's possible. At the very least I think he might know a lot more than the average archeologist. More than that though, he would have to have a copy of my grandfather's notes to have found that temple Jack. If he's got those notes then it's safe to assume he knows about his discovery and assumptions about the Crystal Skull in Belize. Nick made no effort to cover his story that he had seen aliens so anyone researching his notes would know about his opinions." The three sat in relative silence finishing their meals while they thought over Daniel's final comment.

When the three members of SG-1 were leaving the now empty cafeteria Jack turned to Daniel as they walked. "Once you've got that list done let me know. If it's something worth investigating further we'll take it to the general."

"Sure. It should actually be done by now. Give me about fifteen minutes to look it over and I'll come find you. Nodding his agreement Jack and Teal'c turned off down the opposite corridor toward the briefing room.

* * *

_**Thirty Minutes Later…**_

"Doctor Jackson," General Hammond nodded as he entered the briefing room and took his usual seat. "Colonel O'Neill says you've discovered a potential security issue?"

"It's very likely General." He replied with a nod before moving to the widescreen display used for briefings. On the screen a picture of a young man with black hair, shocking emerald green eyes and an interesting scar on his forehead was displayed. "This is Harry Potter. Age twenty-three he is considered by many in the archeological community to be a prodigy or savant at the field. He began formal education in archeology, linguistics, and anthropology in 1998 and as of a few months ago has completed his doctorates in each."

The general's eyebrows shot up at this bit of information. "Those are the same three fields I believe you hold doctorates in and you say he's only twenty-three?"

Nodding his confirmation Daniel continued. "Yes sir. Like I said, he's considered a prodigy in the field. He focused primarily on ancient civilizations and languages and since enrolling at Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity he has participated in numerous digs, and expeditions around the world. The thing that has me concerned though is this."

With a click of the remote in his hand Daniel brought up a list he explained to be a full accounting of the young man's experience. "I've cross-referenced the list of his official digs, finds, etc. with our database General. Every single one of them has direct ties to either the Goa'uld or Asgard, or suspected links to the Ancients."

The general's brows furrowed at the revelation. "You believe this young man is aware of the existence of alien life and their relation to Earth?"

"I think so general. The only way to find out for sure would be to interview him." Daniel replied while taking his usual seat at the table.

"Colonel O'Neill what do you think?"

"Frankly sir I agree with Daniel. There's somethin' off about the kid and I wouldn't mind finding out what."

"Very well. Major Carter is due to report back tomorrow at 0930. In the meantime Dr. Jackson I'd like you to find out where this young man lives and we'll arrange for SG-1 to pay him a visit. I want to know how much he knows and if he's helped himself to anything we should know about from those dig sites. Use your discretion Colonel. If you feel he should be brought in-house for security reasons do it."

"Understood sir." Jack replied before looking to Daniel. "He's one of yours so unless I get a bad feeling about him I'll leave it to you to decide. Last thing we need is another geek runnin' around the base, but it's better than him runnin' loose out there." Jack's face turned into a sarcastic grin that always annoyed Daniel.

"You're all heart Jack." was all the younger man replied as he rubbed his eyes behind his glasses. Then a thought occurred to him. "Actually, depending on how the interview goes it might not be a bad idea to bring him onboard with the SGC anyway."

The sudden comment stopped the general as he stood up to leave. "Please explain." he requested before retaking his seat.

"Well if he's as much a prodigy as his records indicate he would be useful no matter what, but I had something else in mind. My search for the location of the Lost City is going slowly because of our Off-World schedule. Having someone with Potter's credentials to keep up the research when I'm gone would greatly increase our chances of finding it."

"I'll take that under advisement Dr. Jackson. However, until we can ascertain the situation with Mr. Potter I'm going to withhold judgment. For all we know the man could be a Goa'uld or rogue NID agent. Until we can be sure of his intentions and knowledge I'd rather not offer him a key to the mountain."

"Understood General. Thank you."

With that the briefing ended and everyone went their separate ways unaware that at the same moment another far more sinister meeting had been taking place. Far from Earth on a planet known simply as Tartarus the System Lord Anubis was receiving news of the Tau'ri base known simply as the "Alpha Site". He listened with a sense of sadistic amusement. Turning to the black-clad form of his scientist in charge of the Kull warriors – his super-soldiers Anubis gave his instructions. The Tau'ri would learn a valuable lesson about his power while the alliance between the Tok'ra, Jaffa, and humans would crumble under accusations of betrayal. Anubis was pleased with the turn of events.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 3: It was a Good Plan…**_

* * *

_**One year ago…**_

Diagon Alley had changed a great deal over the years. Shops which had existed for centuries had been replaced by new names and trades after the massacre in '97. Perhaps the most poignant example of the changes was the wand shop. No longer did the name "Ollivander's" appear in its faded gold lettering over the shop, but now the name "Simon & Randle Wands for all Wizards and Witches" appeared in its place. Harry paused a moment to simply gaze at the shop sadly.

Shaking off the onset of a melancholy mood he continued on his path through the alley toward Gringotts. It never failed to amaze him how utter blind the Wizarding community of Britain really was. _"Spend a few years among the muggles and you get totally forgotten."_ he mused while climbing the white marble steps of the bank. While the sentiment wasn't totally correct it did prove in his mind that most wizards were only concerned about one thing: themselves. His appearance though had changed over the years. When he had finally decided to quietly slip back into the magical world two years ago he had consulted Moros' hologram on methods of concealment.

The changes were nothing drastic, but they suited his purposes. Thanks to the miniature, and far safer, version of the Alteran healing device in the Camelot medical wing his scar was removed and eyesight corrected. Without glasses and his famous scar the rest had been handled simply by age. Having grown to a respectable height of 5'11" and bulked out thanks to his constant travels he no longer resembled the scrawny teen he had been last time the public too notice of him. The only lasting and defining traits had been his flyaway hair and emerald green eyes. He rather liked both the way they were so he simply made due with a few basic glamour charms anytime he went out among the magical folk.

Glancing at his watch briefly he realized he was still fifteen minutes early for his appointment. Settling into one of the large high-backed chairs in the waiting area of the bank's lobby he helped himself to a copy of the Daily Profit and began checking up on the latest Quidditch standings. He couldn't help but groan as he noted that the Chudley Cannons had, as always, been crushed by the Ballycastle Bats. There were times when he wondered why he had let Ron ever talk him into supporting the single worst team in the British league. His grumblings over the state of his proclaimed-favorite team were interrupted, however, when his name was called from a few feet away.

"Mr. Anderson! So glad we could meet today." The short yet powerfully built man approaching him.

"Mr. Peasegood." he greeted while dropping the paper back on the coffee table and rising to shake the man's hand. "Thank you for being prompt," he began with a glance at his watch, "I'm afraid I'm on a bit of a tight schedule later today. Shall we proceed then?"

"Oh! Yes, yes; no time like the present."

"Just follow me then. I've arranged a private meeting room for us to conduct our business in." With a motion indicating the man to follow Harry crossed the lobby to one of the many goblin-filled desks.

"Yes? What do you want?" snapped the pleasant-as-ever goblin.

"I have a meeting room booked for this morning under the name Anderson. My client has arrived and we would like to be shown to the room please." Harry responded in Gobbledegook with a smirk one might expect a goblin to wear.

A feral grin and a slight nod of recognition preceded the goblin's proclamation of "Follow me please." in English. The two men quickly moved to follow their guide through the main lobby and into a dark hallway. Harry ignored the slight looks of confusion and revulsion his client was shooting him; he really didn't care about bigoted and idiotic wizard's opinions.

Stopping at a door simply marked "Conference Room P" the goblin opened the door and stepped aside. "Once you close the door silencing and privacy wards will be in place. Good day gentlemen," intoned the short creature in a bored tone before making his way back to the lobby.

Once the door was shut Peasegood spun on his heal and with narrowed eyes glared at Harry. "You speak the language of those filthy beasts? What are you…some kind of Goblin Sympathizer?"

Raising an eyebrow Harry briefly considered saying yes just to see the man's reaction. Settling on a more dignified and less childish approach he simply walked past the man and took a seat at the large table in the center of the room. "Mr. Peasegood I am well aware of your record of arresting Goblins, but kindly keep your tone civil and accusations to yourself. That is unless you'd rather not conduct our business?"

"Now listen here young man…"

"Shut it!" Harry barked at the man who instantly snapped his jaw shut in surprise more than obedience. "Are you aware that Goblins are among the most proficient of all curse-breakers? They are also among the most deadly of curse-layers. Care to guess how many ancient temples, ruins, and what-have-you sport goblin-curses as protection?" he asked waspishly. This wasn't how he wanted to start the meeting. "I know the goblin language and even have a working knowledge of their magic so I can survive in my line of work Mr. Peasegood. Now either shut up, sit down, and lets do business or I can find another buyer and you'll be left out in the cold."

The short man quickly nodded and sat. He needed the item and couldn't afford to let his utter loathing of all things goblin get in the way. "Fine, fine, fine! Lets just get this over with."

Nodding at the sentiment Harry retrieved a small match-length box from his pocket and sat it on the table between them. Drawing his wand from the sleeve of his robe he tapped the box twice and it rapidly expanded into a long wooden case. "In your earlier request you stated that you were looking for a walking cane which would hold some historical significance. Not an easy request I admit, but I believe you will like what I've found."

Tapping the box with his wand for a third time it opened. Inside, cushioned by a velvet pillow, lay a four foot long cane made of an unidentified grey wood and capped by a golden lion's head. "This item dates back to 79 AD. I found it in during the recent excavation of the ancient wizarding village attached to the ancient muggle city of Herculaneum."

The man seemed quiet taken by the age and appearance of the item, but a look of confusion overtook him at the mention of the cities. "I'm not familiar with where you're talking about."

Harry grinned. He really did enjoy this part of his job. "Understandable. You see the city of Herculaneum was one of two muggle cities destroyed in 79 AD when the nearby volcano, Mt. Vesuvius, erupted. The other city being the slightly more famous of the two you might have heard of it: Pompeii."

A look of understanding finally crossed the man's face. "Ahh. Yes I seem to recall something about that now. Wasn't it a wizard that caused that eruption?"

Smirking, Harry nodded. "Yes. A wizard attempting to harness the power of the volcano made a rather disastrous miscalculation. While he, and most wizards in the two near-by cities managed to escape, the cities themselves and their muggle counterparts were destroyed. I believe the wizard in question was given the Dementor's Kiss actually."

Peasegood shuddered at the thought before nodding. "How much are you asking for it?"

"All things considered I'm only going to ask for 1300 galleons. It's certainly not the most exotic or rare piece I found, but the ash-stained black ironwood shaft makes it incredibly valuable as a historical artifact from a wizarding event." Closing the case Harry sat back and watched as the man thought it over.

It was a few minutes of silence as the man seemed to struggle over the decision before visibly deflating. "I'm sorry Mr. Anderson, I simply can't afford that."

"_Got ya now."_ Harry couldn't help but smile inwardly. "Understandable Mr. Peasegood. Not everyone can afford rare antiques." He started to stand as if to leave when he looked at his client with a fake pensiveness. "Just out of curiosity…why were you looking for such an item?" he inquired while retaking his seat.

With a sigh the man began to explain about the Gala-event at the Ministry that very evening. It seemed Minister Scrimgeour's birthday was being celebrated in high-fashion and Mr. Peasegood was aiming for the headship of the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad. The minister sported a well-known limp and was always seen carrying a cane so it seemed like the perfect gift.

If it hadn't been wildly inappropriate Harry would have been sporting an incredibly feral grin at that very moment. _"It's like that old muggle TV show 'The A-Team'."_ he thought. _"Their saying 'I love it when a plan comes together' is so appropriate right now."_ Nodding in understanding to the now slightly distressed Obliviator he paused to appear as though he was considering something. "Alright Mr. Peasegood I think we can work something out. It's partly my fault that you're in a bind now on time to find another gift after all. Perhaps we can work something of a payment plan out."

The man visibly brightened at the idea. "Yes, yes! If I could simply split the payment…say in thirds?"

Considering the offer Harry nodded. "Very well, if you agree to increase the total cost to 1350 galleons then I'll accept three payments of 450 galleons each. I expect them to be made promptly each month, with the first payment today before you take possession of the cane."

The two quickly completed the transaction with Peasegood writing out a draft for 450 galleons and a non-discloser agreement to keep the whole thing private. After bidding his client a good afternoon Harry deposited the bank draft and left for muggle London. It was always nice to make money and secure ones own interest all in one swift move he thought. The idea that the whole thing had been excruciatingly Slytherin of him was firmly pushed to the back of his mind.

He had known from the first time the Obliviator had contacted him that the cane would be a gift for the Minister of Magic. Scrimgeour had never appreciated Harry's lack of 'willingness to assist the rightful authorities' as he had once put it, and Harry had never appreciated the man's existence. The man had made his entire election campaign about stopping Voldemort by 'bringing Mr. Potter under the guidance of the Ministry', and 'showing the Death Eaters we aren't afraid of them'.

It had been a wildly successful campaign, but after his election he ran into a brick wall of sorts: Harry Potter had vanished so he couldn't control him. Then, after Voldemort's defeat Harry refused to play along with Scrimgeour's attempt to call it a 'joint effort between the Ministry and Mr. Potter' since there hadn't been a single Auror (barring those in the Order) at Hogwarts during the Final Battle. All this and several heated arguments had created a rift and rivalry between the two figures that some might consider epic. However, the Minister wasn't an inexperienced teenager and his manipulations lead to the bad press Harry saw shortly after things had settled down.

Now, several years later, there had been rumors floating around about a new cult of dark wizards. Knowing how the Minister operated Harry didn't trust that the general population would be hearing the truth about the supposed cult if there was actually anything to the rumors. So it was that he decided to use the Minister's birthday as a chance to slip a spy into his midst.

The cane was exactly what he had claimed it to be, but he had enhanced it a bit. Thanks to a bit of advice from Moros he had managed to hide the Alteran version of a micro-recorder inside the head of the cane. It would be totally undetectable to all forms of magical detection, and thanks to the advanced state of ancient technology he didn't have to worry about it not functioning in high-magic areas. Energy is energy no matter what form it takes after all.

Feeling a great deal better about his ability to keep tabs on the magical world Harry went about the rest of his day visiting the numerous antique shops and auction houses around Britain. Apparation, he had long ago decided, was the single greatest magical development in history.

* * *

**_Present Day, New Godric's Hollow…_**

Harry was snooping. There really wasn't another way to describe it. The revelation that the Americans had the Stargate and were using it had put the almighty curse of curiosity in him. He wanted to know when they found the gate first of all, and then he wanted to know how long they had been using it and to what end. Mostly though, he wanted to know how Dr. Jackson was involved in the whole thing.

The surprising aspect to his research was the utter lack of information available. Most of the normal channels he had tried had either provided no information at all, or nothing of any real substance. It wasn't until he started to find gaps in records that he found his first real clues. His decision to begin his research with the question of when the Stargate was found and how the US came to control it proved to be the right one. Thanks to Moros' records he knew the gate had been buried somewhere in or around Giza. While it narrowed the search a bit the shear number of digs that have occurred in that area still made searching them all daunting.

He had begun his search with any and all records he could find starting in 1890. None of the records indicated any discoveries that would signify the Stargate. However, he noticed that the notes from one dig referenced another that he had no record of. After further research he discovered that any and all records of the 1928 Langford Expedition had seemingly vanished. This immediately caught his attention and led to the discovery that not only had the records of the dig disappeared, but all record of the key members of the dig had also.

With a clear point to start from Harry began looking at any and all records about the Langford. Hopes of finding the seemingly missing archeologists from the dig by tracing their families proved to be fruitful. Catherine Langford, the daughter of the famed archeologist, still had records of attendance and graduation from various schools both in Egypt and the United States. However, in the mid 1980s all record of Ms. Langford disappeared. _"What the bloody hell?"_ was becoming something of a mantra for Harry.

In the pit of his stomach Harry began to feel uneasy about his investigations. Someone, or more likely some group of people, had done a very thorough job of hiding the Langford's both in the past and present. Convinced now that the Langford Expedition had indeed been the discovery point of the Stargate he made began to research both Dr. Jackson and the other man whose name he knew: Jack O'Neill.

* * *

**_Present Day, SGC…_**

It had been two weeks since the fiasco at the Alpha Site and Major Carter was finally declared as cleared for duty. While she was proud that the weapon she and her father had engineered, the Kull Disrupter, had worked she couldn't help but wish it hadn't required a raid by one of Anubis' super-soldiers to test. She pushed the thoughts of her chased-escape from the mindless killing machine aside to focus on the briefing about to begin.

"SG-1, thank you for being so prompt. Dr. Jackson I believe you have the briefing prepared for us?" began General Hammond as he joined the others seated around the table.

"Yes General. In the folders I'm passing out," he began speaking while sliding blue briefing folders out to everyone, "is all the information we currently have on Harry Potter. It's not much."

Letting everyone have a few minutes to digest the information handed out Daniel sat quietly. When he noticed everyone looking toward him again he continued. "As you can see we have a more recent photograph now." The picture, clearly taken outdoors at a desert dig, showed a young man looking up and smiling happily. He was sporting a nice tan and unlike the previous picture, he wasn't wearing glasses and he no longer had the lightning bolt scar on his forehead.

"Aside from that we weren't able to find much through official channels. We did manage to locate an address on his aunt who raised him. It's rather intriguing how "little" information there is to be found actually. School records indicate he disappeared from British public schools at age 11 and didn't reappear until age 18 when he enrolled at the University of Birmingham in 1998.

We also found a couple names. Members of some of the digs he's been on. But that's about it. No known address… It's like he falls off the map... As a matter of fact when we began petitioning the British government for assistance we were rapidly shut down." he concluded in an annoyed huff.

Jack leaned forward and looked at the General. "That's when I started calling in favors. Somethin's definitely fishy here.I don't know who this kid is, but someone's covering his tracks for him. Even I was getting stonewalled. Hell, I even called Maybourne for cryin' out loud!"

The general's eyebrows rose at that bit of news. "So you suspect Mr. Potter is a rogue NID agent then?"

Shaking his head Daniel jumped back into the conversation. "No sir, Maybourne managed to confirm for us that he wasn't. He was also able to help us track down Mr. Potter's general location. It seems he frequents several of the high-end antique shops in London on a weekly basis. It looks like the best we can hope for if we want to question him."

"Very well. SG-1 you all look like you need a vacation." Hammond said with a slight grin. "Might I suggest touring London? I hear the antique shopping this time of year is excellent."

* * *

**_Two Days Later…_**

London's Heathrow Airport was, as always, a display in organized chaos. Harry hated Heathrow. The fact that he was suffering the mass of humanity was a sign of how badly things were turning out. He still wasn't sure if it had been his search for information on the Stargate and Dr. Jackson or something else, but he knew that for some reason the Americans had taken an interest in him. Normally he wouldn't have been concerned, or even known about it for that matter, but their interest had gained the interest of the Ministry of Magic. _"When it rains it pours."_ he thought with glum acquiescence.

It had been a complete act of providence that Harry had chosen to review the latest recordings from his little spy within the Ministers office the day before. Amidst endless discussions over reelection, the Cult of the Old Ways, and plans for some party or another there had been one frightening gem of information. Someone from the American government had been asking the British Government about Harry Potter. This, of course, caught the immediate attention of the Ministry of Magic, and the Minister himself. It had been years since any mention of the Boy-Who-Lived had come up and he certainly didn't want the meddlesome boy around now.

Not willing to leave well enough alone, it seemed that the Americans were sending four people to London to search him out. The Minister wanted to know why and demanded the Auror's discover the reasons. Harry had groaned aloud when he heard that particular part of the Minister's discussion. How the Ministry knew about the imminent arrival of the Americans he didn't know, but he was well aware of the utter catastrophe that could arise from the meeting. Harry didn't particularly want to find out what sort of mess could arise from a meeting between Americans who no doubt had connections, somehow, to the Stargate's secrecy and the hidden world of magic. It sounded like a recipe for a disaster of nuclear proportions.

It was a headache Harry didn't need to be in the middle of, and yet there he was in the middle of Heathrow attempting to prevent an unmitigated catastrophe. There was no telling what flight the Americans might be on so his only chance was to watch for the Aurors. _"Easier said than done."_ he realized with no small amount of annoyance. The undulating current of people all moving about their business and ignoring the world around them allowed even the poorly disguised ministry employees to blend in. It was days like these that Harry seriously reconsidered his decision to wake up in the morning.

"Alright Jacobson," a voice nearby said in hushed tones, "they're coming in from that gate over there. I want you to take the left side and Grevins to take the right. I'll confront them head on. Everyone have their muggle IDs?"

Harry couldn't help but stare at the idiot Aurors from his spot near a kiosk advertising a movie about Alien vs. Predator. The irony of the moment wasn't lost on him but his focus was on the not-so-subtly conversing wizards. _"They have got to be new at this."_ He considered as he watched them openly discuss how they were going to "detain" the "muggles". _"Statute of Secrecy be damned I guess."_ He concluded with a sad shake of his head.

Slipping up behind the three men he quietly cast a Confundus Charm on each of the men. He watched in amusement as they each rapidly went in different directions trying to catch up with their targets. _"If that's the best the Auror corps has these days Britain is screwed."_ he wryly thought as he moved toward the gate that the men had been targeting. A few minutes later the doors opened and passengers began to stream out. Some went immediately to waiting family members while others move off by themselves to claim luggage. It was with wide-eyed shock that Harry noted a group of four people who were obviously the American's sent to find him. It was obvious only because among them were Daniel Jackson and Jack O'Neill.

"Thank god I've got my glamours up." He muttered to himself before walking through the throngs of people toward the two men. Several years ago the idea of having a fake I.D. wouldn't have ever crossed Harry's mind. However, in his many attempts to stave off both muggle and magical prying eyes he had embraced, though he'd never admit it, his Slytherin side's panache for slyness. Thus is was that he had come to this potential disaster waiting to happen with an ID that would proclaim him to be Patrick Anderson of Her Majesty's Secret Intelligence Service – more commonly known as MI-6. _"What kid didn't want to be James Bond after all?"_ he had thought to himself when he made the ID.

Stopping a few feet from O'Neill he pulled the ID out and in a friendly tone inquired, "Dr. Daniel Jackson?"

Jackson and O'Neill instantly stopped to look at him followed by a blond woman to their left and a tall, very muscular, black man behind them. "Yes. I'm Dr. Jackson." he replied guardedly after sharing a look with Jack.

"These must be your companions." Harry confirmed while motioning to the rest of SG-1. "My name is Patrick Anderson. I'm here to escort you to Vauxhall Cross." A quick flash of the ID got him three sets of raised eyebrows and one now-squinting and suspicious glare from O'Neill.

"Why?" was all the older man asked; his mistrust oozing off the word like a spilled jar of jam.

"Your government has recently been making inquiries into a certain person. Unfortunately, those inquiries drew the attention of a few people that we'd rather not have a chance to talk to you."

Now he faced four sets of raised eyebrows. Some sick and twisted part of him was enjoying the moment even if the rest of his mind was trying to kick him for taking chances like this. "If you'll follow me please." He directed politely before moving toward the baggage claim area.

As the five walked out of the airport Harry began to reconsider his plan. He could simply Obliviate the four and send them home, but it would arouse too much suspicion. As it was, the three Aurors returning to the ministry sans Americans was going to draw more questions about Harry Potter than we wanted. The entire situation was getting out of hand and not for the first time he was cursing his Gryphindorish tendency to leap before he looked. It had seemed so simple: get the Americans before the Ministry could. It occurred to him the similarities between his current situation and a classic joke. _"Step 1: Get to the Americans first. Step 3: Send them home without knowing anything about the magical world. Now all we need is step 2."_ Unfortunately for Harry his musings were cut short when O'Neill looked over at him and asked a not-so-simple question.

"So where's your car?"


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: This chapter was really short and so I added quite a few things in the middle. Hopefully it works._**  
**_

_**Chapter 4: It can Never be Easy**_

* * *

_**Present day…**_

"_People always said Apparation could be dangerous. This is so not what I think they meant though."_ Harry wryly thought to himself as he stared blankly at Jack.

Harry resisted the urge to slap himself. _"I should have never gotten out of bed today."_ His mind began to race over his options. It wouldn't take much longer for the Aurors to figure out someone had played them which meant he had to get the Americans away quickly. Then the age old saying of 'Keep it simple stupid' hit him.

"We're taking a taxi actually." he replied with a cheshire grin.

Jack raised an eyebrow as if to say 'excuse me'. Daniel and Sam couldn't help but chuckle under their breath while Teal'c anticipated enjoying a new experience.

Harry flagged down one of the mini-van taxies and while the others arranged themselves inside he instructed the driver of their destination.

"Right gov. Gonna take a bit what with tha traffic t'day."

Nodding to the driver Harry turned around from his spot in the front passenger seat to look at the Americans. "First time in London?"

"No." echoed O'Neill, Jackson, and Carter while the taller man replied with a stoic "Yes". Harry briefly pondered how anyone could even make a simple 'yes' sound stoic.

"Well I'm sorry Mr. …uh, I didn't seem to get your name."

"I am Murray." Teal'c responded in a matter-of-fact tone that somehow seemed to have a humorous tone to it.

"Riight. Well Murray I'm afraid I'm an absolutely horrible tour guide so you'll have to ask your friends who have been here before." Harry replied with a grin. His eyes glanced over to the others only to find their faces devoid of any humor. Inwardly he gulped and turned back around to face front.

Jack exchanged a look with Carter and Daniel. The feeling that something was wrong was intensifying every minute. They simply couldn't figure out what was causing it other than the strange behavior of their escort. There was something about the man's demeanor that told Jack he was no MI-6 agent, but he also screamed veteran in the way he carried himself. The fact that they were taking a public taxi to Vauxhall Cross didn't sit well either. It ensured they couldn't question Anderson about anything because of the civilian in the car with them. _"The guy's slick, I'll give him that."_ Jack thought with a grudge.

While SG-1 was trying to figure out the conundrum that was their current situation, Harry was thinking furiously. _"What the hell am I going to do once we get there?"_ he thought with no slight amount of panic. Then it struck him. It was so simple that it was perfect. _"I hate to do it, but it's the only way."_

Harry closed his eyes and for the first time in years opened his mind to the ambient energy around him. It was nearly overwhelming at first – to be able to sense the mass of free energy of the world. This was the greatest weapon in Harry's arsenal, and why the general wizarding populous considered him to be so much more powerful, and dangerous, than anyone else. This was the "power the dark lord knows not". Thanks to Moros, Harry was able to manipulate the ambient energy of the world without channeling it through himself and a wand like every other wizard.

Once he could feel the energy flow within the cab he quietly mumbled one word: "_Obliviate"_.

Everyone in the car became glossy eyed as the spell took effect and Harry once again closed his mind to the ambient energy. It took several deep breathes before his own bodies' energy settled again. With a final glance at the five others in mini-van he quietly apparated home to Godric's Hollow.

"I am bloody well never going to try that again." He mumbled under his breath while walking casually through the halls of his home.

* * *

_**Ministry of Magic**_

"Your report, Greene?" snapped Minister Scrimgeour impatiently.

"I'm sorry to report that we missed them at Heathrow, sir," said the unfortunate Auror.

"WHAT! HOW?"

"We're not entirely sure, sir."

"What "exactly" happened at Heathrow, Greene?" the Minister gritted out. He had no patience for incompetent gits. "My orders were fairly straight forward, were they not?"

"Yes, sir. Well, we waited near Gate 47 for the targets to disembark. I gave orders for a flanking maneuver and we intended to use the standing procedure to question and then obliviate the Muggles… Uh… but the next thing I remember was finding myself at a Fish n Chips place over on Beacon St. Grevins says he found himself at a Muggle Cinema- some horrible thing about battling Monsters. And Jacobson woke up from a nap on a park bench over in Hyde Park."

"Please tell me you're joking…" Scrimgeour pinched his nose.

"Sorry, sir but no."

"And your explanation?"

"Well, sir. We were probably hit with some sort of confusion charm, perhaps Confundus, which got us to wander off. But it would've had to of been an incredibly strong wizard for it to last so long, not to mention getting all three of us at once. I've never heard of someone who could- "

"ENOUGH EXCUSES! Where are the Americans now? Did you find out what they want with the Potter brat?" the Minister demanded.

"Um- no."

"Why not?"

"It's going to take some time to locate where they're staying, sir. We have their names but there are a lot of hotels in the Greater London Metropolitan area," said Greene.

"Then why are you still standing here? Go find them!"

* * *

_**Daniel's Room: The Next Morning**_

"Soo… What've we got on this guy?" asked Jack.

"Well sir, right now we've got three names to start with: the aunt- Petunia Dursley, she lives in Surrey. Dr. Nicholas Devlin- he headed the digs in Essex and one in Greece, he lives near Birmingham. And William Weasley- no address, just a Post Office Box but he was on at least four of the digs or expeditions with Potter- three to Egypt.

There's also a list of about twelve antique shops Potter has done business with in the last year, bit of a longshot but maybe we'll get lucky." Sam concluded.

"Hmm… We'll probably cover more ground if we split things up a little. Teal'c, you and I will start with the aunt. Sam, Daniel, you're the academic types, you try Dr. Nicholas Devlin then we'll start on the shops. We'll meet back here for dinner.

As for Weasley, let's try sending him a note asking for a meeting. Daniel you do that. Don't mention Potter, just say you want to talk about some of those Egyptian digs."

"Sounds doable, Jack," said Daniel and went to write the letter.

"Come-on Teal'c, let's get started we still have to get a rental."

* * *

**_Privet Drive_**

"_Well… _This is the place…" Jack said as he parked and looked around. "Suburbia at it's lowest by the look of it."

"Indeed. But I cannot see why anyone would want to live in such a place."

"Me neither T, but to each his own," as they went to ring the doorbell. After a brief pause, it swung open and a thin woman with a sour expression stood there.

"Hello. Mrs. Dursley?"

"Yes."

"Petunia Dursley?"

"Yes, that's right. What do want? If you're selling something, we've told you people time and again-"

"Uhm- no, we're not selling anything. Could we come in?"

"Why?"

"We'd like to talk to you about your nephew, Harry Potter?"

"WHAT! That Freak!" her voice climbed up several octaves that grated on the nerves. "We got shut of him years ago! My Vernon told him straight out to never come back here! Ungrateful brat! After all we'd done for him too! Bringing those horrible Dementor things here to attack my poor Dudley. The rest of those Freaks came and took him away and I say Good Riddance!

"Who are you anyways? Freaks just like those other ones I suppose. Well- We Don't want your kind around here. So take your Unnatural ways and just Get Out!"

And she slammed the door in their faces. Jack could hear her inside, still ranting about 'Freaks'.

They shared a speaking look and Teal'c just raised one of those expressive eyebrows.

They turned to head back to the van when a car pulled into the drive and a rather obese young man got out.

He sneered at them and turned to go inside #4 but O'Neill called out, "Do you know a Harry Potter?"

The kid's ugly look deepened but he turned back and sullenly said, "Yeah I know 'im. Why?"

"We are trying to find him," Teal'c's deep voice spoke from behind O'Neill.

The kid's eyes widened. He swallowed and said with a touch more politeness, "Well, he's not here. Hasn't been back in five years now. Said that evil Freak who killed his parents was dead but a lot of people died and he just wanted to make sure we were alright. Huh! Like we believed that! Dad threw him out and told him to never come back. That's the last time I saw him."

"Thank you, Mr.- I did not get your name…" Teal'c rumbled.

"Oh… it's Dudley, Dudley Dursley, sir."

"Then, thank you Dudley."

"Uh, sir?"

"Yes?"

"Are you a fighter, sir?"

"Yes, I am. Why?"

"No reason… just something I wanted to do when I was younger, but I could never get my weight down."

"We'll be on our way then- If there is nothing further."

"Oh wait, Harry used to hang out with some freaks with red hair. Weasley, I think."

"Indeed, Goodbye."

"Yeah, Bye."

* * *

**_Home of Dr. Nicholas Devlin_**

Meanwhile, Carter and Jackson were knocking on the door of the modest brick home of Dr. Nicholas Devlin. It was soon opened by a small, wry man, about mid 50s, with a pleasant inquisitive look on his face.

"Why, Hello. What can I do for you?" he asked.

"Er Hello. I'm Daniel Jackson and this is Samantha Carter. We'd like to talk to you for a bit about a young man named Harry Potter. Could we come in?"

"Young Harry, you say… Yes, yes. Come in. This way…" He led them to a comfortable looking den with rough-hewn beams and artifacts decorating the shelves at the far end. After they took their seats on the leather chairs, Devlin turned and gave them a sharp look. "Soo… Americans, eh? What do you want with Harry?"

"Mostly information on his whereabouts." said Sam. "We've been having trouble finding out how to contact him."

"Hmm…" Devlin looked at Daniel and studied his face for a minute. "Jackson, Jackson… that name sounds familiar. Oh yes! Weren't you the one with all the rather wild ideas about the pyramids? I recall Harry being quite fascinated by some of your theories." The man seemed to warm up a bit. "Is that why you're interested in Harry? A new theory or an expedition?"

Daniel turned rather pink. "Yes, well… part of the reason. Some of the artifacts we've found have some unknown ancient writings… and his name came up. We wanted to contact him and maybe get to know him a little before offering anything more," Daniel said glancing sideways at Sam.

"You seem to know him quite well, Dr. Devlin. Can you tell us about him? Where did you meet?" put in Sam.

"Just call me Dev, young lady, everyone does. As for Harry, I met him when he was still at Uni. I needed some strong, dedicated young help for the dig in Essex and he was recommended by several Professors. It worked out beautifully. You should see him at a dig- like a kid at Christmas. What else do you want to know?"

"What's he like to work with?"

"Oh… a hard worker, polite with a quirky sense of humor. Rather quiet… Private- he never talks about his family or past and he often goes off by himself during off hours. Absolutely brilliant at what he does- especially languages. Oh, and he has a positive knack for locating hidden things- even on well picked over sites. I remember when we were in Greece working on the ruins of a temple to Chronos, when Harry just stopped... He stood there with his eyes closed like he was listening to something. And then he blinked and walked to a large rock near the back. He cleared the rubble away and ran his hand up and down the side of the larger stone. Well, long story short, there was a hidden compartment in this stone. Inside, wrapped in leathers, was a beautiful sundial about 18" across but the amazing thing was the shadow bar was an obelisk and the inscriptions were both in Greek and what looked like Egyptian hieroglyphics- although not ones I've seen before." Finished Dr. Devlin.

"I remember reading about that find!" said Daniel excitedly. "And it was dated as much older than the temple was previously thought to be as well as implying much closer ties to Egypt."

Before the two archeologists could wander off topic too far, Sam interrupted. "So do you know how to get ahold of him now Dev?"

Devlin blinked, "Well, no… come to think of it. He usually just calls out of the blue and we talk then. You know… I don't believe he's called in a couple of months now. I do hope he's alright."

They talked a bit more then stood to take their leave.

"Goodbye then. It was nice meeting you. Please give my best to Harry when you find him and tell him to call me soon."

* * *

**_Evening- Back at the Hotel_**

"Well, that was a bust!" Jack rumbles as he and Teal'c walked through the lobby of the hotel.

They stopped and turned at their names being called to see Sam and Daniel coming in.

"Hey guys," greeted Jack, "What do you say we get somethin' to eat and bring each other up to speed?"

"Sounds good, sir," said Sam.

* * *

After they were seated and served, Daniel started off, "Dr. Devlin gave us a few things although unfortunately not an address. What about you guys?" 

Jack snorted, "Huh! Apart from the pleasure of meeting the kid's obnoxious aunt and sumo wrestler of a cousin, not much. Apparently they threw him out as soon as they could, told him not to come back."

"What! Why?" asked Sam.

"Not sure, she just kept going on about 'Freaks'. Teal'c managed to get a few things out of the cousin though."

"Yes," said Teal'c. "It seems that Potter returned only once about five years ago, to inform them that 'the evil freak that killed his parents was dead' and to reassure himself that they were alright because 'many had others had died'."

"Evil Freak? What do you suppose he meant by that? A Goa'uld?" asked Daniel.

"I do not know," replied Teal'c, "Mr. Dudley also mentioned that Potter knew some 'red-haired freaks' named Weasley."

"So I think this Bill Weasley is our best bet," put in Jack. "What about you? You said Devlin gave you somethin'."

"Well, he certainly gave him a decent recommendation for a job," smiled Daniel, "Said Potter was polite, a hard worker, brilliant at archeology and languages. He also said he was private and never talked about his past."

"You could tell that he really liked Potter," put in Sam.

"Devlin told this story of Potter finding a sundial artifact at the Greek dig. It was odd though… He made it sound like Potter somehow knew the object was there."

"Everything about this kid is odd. And the more we find out, the more questions I have to ask when we catch up with him.

I have to say though that if his aunt is anything to go by- I don't blame him for not talking about his past."

""Indeed," said Teal'c. "A most unpleasant woman."

"What about the shops? Our six were a bust. Some people remembered Potter but no contact numbers or anything. Apparently he comes around every 2-3 months with some new pieces."

"Yes sir, that's about what we got too, except for a name. A shop called Memories, the owner said that Potter sometimes works with a man named Patrick Anderson."

Teal'c blinked and then looked puzzled. "I do not know why… but that name sound familiar."

Daniel looked like he was struggling to remember something then shrugged. "Yeah… For me too."

Jack and Sam exchanged confused glances.

* * *

_**The Next Morning**_

"Well sir, it looks like we may have caught some luck. There was a letter from Weasley at the desk this morning," said Sam.

"Yeah Jack, it says that he'd be available tomorrow at noon for lunch, " said Daniel handing him the letter.

_To Dr. Daniel Jackson,_

_Of course I'd willing to speak about the Egyptian expeditions with a fellow enthusiast. I'll be free tomorrow. How about noon at Café' Emm, on17th Frith in Soho. I'll be the redhead._

_Sincerely, Bill Weasley_

"Okay maybe- we'll see. What else do we have for today?"

"There's the stuff Maybourne came up with…" Sam Carter glanced up, slightly distracted at the strangely dressed man who had sat down at a nearby table.

"Sir, according to the intel that Maybourne provided us, our best chance would be to pick one of the target locations and simply wait." Sam reported in her usual business-like tone while SG-1 ate breakfast.

"Oh joy. I can just tell this is going to be an exciting day." O'Neill responded with no small amount of sarcasm. "I don't suppose you brought your Gameboy did ya T?"

"I did O'Neill, but I intend to utilize it during this stakeout." Came the reply that brokered no argument. Jack whined a bit.

"According to what I've read our best bet would be Sotheby's on New Bond Street. It looks like of all the places he visits Sotheby's is one he never misses on his weekly rounds," added Daniel while reading over the file that had arrived that morning for a third time.

"That's odd if you think about it. I thought Sotheby's dealt mostly in art?"

Daniel just nodded to Sam. "They do. They started primarily auctioning literary works – rare books from old private collections and things like that. They later got into art and diamonds as they started becoming part of the 'international trade'. If he's looking for alien artifacts it doesn't make much sense that he'd frequent them most of all, but he does."

"Perhaps then it is wise to assume his visits there are of a personal nature?" inquired Teal'c while staring down Jack's attempt to steal his doughnut. Jack whined a bit more.

"It's as good a guess as any," Daniel nodded.

"Well kiddos, let's finish up and get a move on then. I'd like be back in the good old US of A sooner rather than later."

With murmurs of agreement the four quickly finished their meal and left their hotel. None of them realized that they were being watched, and none of them noticed the soft 'pop' sound that their stalker made as he apparated away to report his findings.

* * *

_**Office of the Minister of Magic…**_

"I'm sure sir. They were talking about intelligence that reports Potter frequents a dozen or so shops and auction houses on a weekly basis. Apparently they felt that Sotheby's was the best location to wait for him due to it being his most common stop." reported the Auror.

"Sotheby's? Interesting. Did they seem to know anything about our world?" Rufus Scrimgeour inquired in a thoughtful yet annoyed voice. He didn't want to be dealing with this. _"Oh how I wish that damn Potter boy had stayed vanished."_

"No sir. As far as I can tell they know nothing more about Potter than his muggle life. We've still been unable to come up with any logical reason that the American military would be interested in him though."

Nodding his understanding the Minister rubbed his temple for a moment. "It had to have been Potter that caused the problem at the airport." he began with a glare to the second Auror in the room. The man had the good sense to look abashed. "Bring them in for questioning. Where Potter is concerned any news is bad news, but having the American Military searching for him only makes it worse. Bring him in as well, if you can catch him. I wouldn't put it past the brat to be forming alliances to oust the Ministry." Glowering at shadows the Minister never once stopped to realize how much like his predecessor the comment made him sound.

With a nodding of acknowledgement the Aurors responded with a simple "Yes Minister" before leaving the plush office. Muttered comments about the Minister 'channeling Fudge' went unheard. Perhaps the job carried something contagious.

* * *

_**Godric's Hollow…**_

"Auug! 'Oust the Ministry'? Bloody idiot! Bloody, giant prat!" yelled Harry as he listened to the latest idiocy within the Minister's office.

The whole situation was giving him an ulcer. He hadn't been this annoyed and frustrated in years, and he felt he would have been happy if he never had again. "Bloody Americans!" he bellowed as he strode down the halls of the Hollow.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: The first chapter all on my own... I thought it turned out okay, although a bit shorter than I was hoping for._**  
**_

_**Chapter 5: A Day at Sotheby's**_

Harry Apparated with a soft 'pop' into the back docking area of Sotheby's. Once inside he paused to make sure he was unobserved and then made his way through the stacked pallets and crates. The back halls and offices were mostly quiet as Harry stopped at a door with a plaque saying 'Assessor'.

He slipped inside and closed it softly. Past the many shelves cluttered with tagged objects, down near the other end of the room, was a man. He had his back to the door and was peering at something with a magnifying glass and then scribbling in a notebook.

Harry came up behind him and smirked a bit. He was easing his hands up when the man whirled around and grabbed his wrists.

"Harry, you know better than to think that would work on me," he warned.

Harry just laughed down at the face of Remus Lupin. "Well, you never know Remus. Someday I might get lucky," he replied his eyes dancing.

Lupin smiled back, "We'll see," he said. "Sooo… What are you doing back here so soon? I just saw you a few days ago, although it's good to know you're getting out and about more."

Harry's face went serious. "It's not that, Remus. I seem to have acquired a small problem." He went on to explain about the Americans had taken an interest in Harry Potter and how that had gotten the Ministry of Magic involved.

"And just 'how' did you find out about this? Or don't I want to know…"

"Ah… no, you probably don't," Harry said. "Anyways, I think it's a bad idea to let the Ministry question these people."

"Alright cub, what did you want me to do?" sighed Remus.

"Nothing ground shaking. Just warn Security. Tell them you received a tip that there could be trouble and to stay alert."

"Yes, alright. I can do that." Lupin looked seriously at Harry. "And I can tell that there's more you're not telling me. Are you going to let these people find you?"

"I don't know…" he sighed. "Maybe. But it's more important to keep the Aurors from hauling them in. Hmm… What I need is something that will distract the Ministry, at least for a few days. I hope."

"Harry, you've got that gleam in your eye… What are you up to? Your father used to-"

"Now Remus, where's your Marauder spirit? Trust me."

"Yeah, that's what he'd always say too."

Harry left Remus still muttering (something along the lines of 'like father, like son') and went around to the front of Sotheby's. Across the way was a newsstand, and deciding that old clichés were old for a reason, he purchased a paper. He found a good vantage point and settled down to wait.

* * *

_**New Bond Street**_

Sotheby's was a large modern-looking structure of several stories with floor to ceiling windows and steal beams. The prominent entrance, topped by multiple flags, proudly proclaimed it was founded in 1744. A royal blue carpet led up to the glass front doors. And the doorman tipped his hat at Sam Carter and smiled pleasantly while he held the door for the rest of SG1.

The team moved around the sculpture facing the entrance. A uniformed attendant greeted them and passed out the day's auction schedule as well as a map. He invited the visitors to look through the exhibition galleries and told them that the auctions today would be held in the Red Room.

O'Neill muttered something about 'stuffed shirts with white gloves' and said, "Well let's spread out a bit and look over the layout. Then meet in back near the auction rooms."

After wandering through the galleries, Jack and Teal'c set up camp in two chairs at the far back corner with a good view of the auction room. O'Neill turned his chair slightly so he could watch the door better.

A few minutes later, Jackson and Carter walked in and took up seats near the middle.

The Red Room was indeed 'red' with ruby red walls lined with paintings and other artworks. The high-arched ceiling was a creamy color with elaborate moldings. At the front of the room stood a podium and some desks with a stage area for displaying the object up for bids. Two sections of chairs were lined up facing the podium at the far end. Employees were milling around putting in last minute touches and doing the odd chore.

People began to trickle in and take their seats. Several couples. A group of older businessmen. A very large balding man with a leather jacket. A prim-looking lady with a bun and a briefcase. A younger man with light brown hair leaned against the other wall. And a rather sour-faced couple sat directly in front of Teal'c.

But no one matching the description of Harry Potter. T was playing his Gameboy and Jack could tell it was already driving the sour-faced man up the wall as he turned and glared at them. Jack tried to look innocent. He didn't buy it and tsked, tsked before turning away.

Jack sighed heavily, it was going to be a lo-o-ong day.

* * *

Once again questioning just 'why' he was doing this, Harry ghosted around Sotheby's after the Americans. Even with his Patrick Anderson glamours up, he kept his distance, as O'Neill and that Murray bloke both struck him as the type who would likely notice a close shadow.

'_Murray' Huh… That had to be bogus. It didn't suit the stoic black man at all. 'Course, look at him- 'The-Boy-Who-Lived', he certainly hadn't picked that one out for himself._

He'd followed Daniel Jackson and the blonde lady through the galleries. Harry'd forgotten her name, Something…Carter, he thought. They were interesting to watch. You could tell that Jackson was quite interested in some of the items on display, especially a potshard from Deir El Medina with a love note scribbled in hieratic. Carter, on the other hand seemed more interested in the security measures around the building, cameras and sensors and such.

The auction room set up had most people facing forward, so he stayed near the back and leaned against the wall. Idly Harry wondered when the Ministry morons would show up and exactly how he could divert their attention away from the Americans. The biggest problem with this whole situation was that the more he prevented the Ministry from talking to them, the more determined the Aurors would be about hauling them in. Someone could get hurt as he couldn't watch them all the time. Not to mention how paranoid old Scrimgeour would get. He obviously just didn't understand how politicians' minds worked.

He was pulled back from his thoughts by the auctioneer starting with the first item on the bill. A small vase decorated by Picasso in his later years. Staring bid was set at 100 pounds.

Harry could tell it was going to be a long boring day. He hated it when he was right.

Mostly he amused himself by watching his 'watchers'. O'Neill and Murray in particular.

O'Neill was plainly bored and fidgeted his way through at least the first ten items. Old man Harrison was sitting in front of them and his glare could curdle milk. Harry ought to know he'd been on the receiving end a time or two. Murray just looked back with a sort of bland indifference although he did stop playing the beeping electronic game when the auction started.

O'Neill was currently folding his schedule into a rather elaborate paper airplane. After putting the final touches on it he gleefully showed it off to Murray. Harry snorted as Murray just examined it carefully and then calmly handed O'Neill his own schedule. Honestly, it was like watching two kids in the back pew of a church.

Harry was hard put not to laugh out loud when Mr. Harrison turned to glare again and caught O'Neill with the second plane. O'Neill just shot him a cocky salute but he froze up in a panic when the auctioneer announced, "And a bid there from the gentleman in the back row for 4200 pounds. Will anyone top it?"

Harry covered his mouth to hide his smile at O'Neill's visible relief when the bid was upped to 4250 pounds. He was beginning to think he could really grow to like these people.

After two hours with still no sign of the Aurors, Harry decided to sit down for a bit. He wondered at his own mental abilities, but in spite of that, he chose a seat only a chair away from Daniel Jackson. Maybe he just wanted to speak with his academic role model, though Harry didn't think one could get much out of idle conversation.

Jackson and Carter looked up as he sat down and he nodded pleasantly.

Harry decided to break the ice and during the next break he quietly asked if he could borrow the auction schedule.

Jackson nodded and handed it over.

"Hmm… not a whole lot going today," said Harry after looking through it. "What are you interested in?"

Jackson blurted out, "Egyptian artifacts," while Carter said, "We're just looking," right on top of him.

Harry grinned, "Well, as long as you know."

"So, what about you?" Jackson asked.

"Well, the auction can be interesting but that's not usually why I'm here," he replied.

Carter jumped in with, "Why're you here then?"

"One of my father's closest friends works here as an Assessor." Harry could see where this was going.

Jackson and Carter exchanged glances.

"So you're in here a lot," she guessed.

"Yeah, off and on."

"Actually…" said Jackson patting his pockets, "We're here in London trying to locate someone. Maybe you'd have seen him." He fished out a photo. "This is his picture."

Harry supposed he should have expected it as he stared down at his own face. _The photo looked like it was from one of the Egyptian digs._ _Hmm... Good times._ He didn't want to give himself away yet so he just said, "Yeah, that's Potter. He comes here quite a bit."

"When did you last see him?" asked Carter.

"I don't think he's been in for a couple of weeks now. Sorry."

"Don't be. Maybe he'll be along soon and we'll catch him then," said Jackson.

Harry wasn't sure he liked the way Jackson had phrased that. Their conversation broke off as the next item was introduced and the bidding began again.

* * *

Daniel glanced up as the young man who'd borrowed his schedule handed it back. It was odd, but Daniel could have sworn he'd seen him before. He just couldn't remember when. Odd.

He looked back down on the auction schedule. There really wasn't anything to interest a Relic Hunter on it. Maybe Teal'c was right and there was some other reason why Potter would come here.

The auctioneer droned on and Daniel tuned him out. Daniel's mind drifted to the Egyptian Potshards out front in the gallery. They were scheduled for later this afternoon. He thought he just might buy them. They remind him of when he taught Shar'ra to read back on Abydos. She had started leaving sweet little notes like that around for him to find. He smiled. It was a bittersweet memory.

He thought about what the man had just said. If Potter hadn't been here in weeks, that could mean several things: 1) He had been here and no one had seen him- Unlikely. 2) He was due in soon and they would find him within the next few days- Good News. 3) His visits were erratic and it could be another two weeks- Bad News. Or 4) He was out of the country on another dig and wouldn't be in- Really Bad News.

Daniel's attention was drawn back when Sam patted his arm. The familiar-seeming man had suddenly stood and excused himself. He crossed the room and met a thin older gentleman with graying hair and a mustache.

They talked for a while and the young man patted the older one on the shoulder and then left through the doors to the galleries.

* * *

Harry sighed with relief when he saw Remus come in through the side door. He rose and went to meet him.

"Hey Remus. Did you tell security what I said?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, it's all taken care of. So… who are these people trying to find you?"

"Well, don't look right now, but two of them are sitting in the back row- the large black man and the weather-beaten white guy. The other two are sitting in the same row I was- the blonde lady and the guy with glasses."

"The same row- Harry! Are you trying to tempt fate?"

"Well it might be fun to thumb my nose at her."

"Harry!"

"Not so loud. Someone could hear."

Remus gave him a stern look.

"Okay, okay… No, I was not trying to tempt fate, alright?" Harry said. "I was actually trying to find out more about them."

"And?"

"I don't think they're going to give up easily."

"Then you're going to have to seriously think about talking to them as Harry Potter."

"Alright. I'll think about it," Harry said. He patted Remus on the arm and smiled. "Thanks for the advice, Oh Wise One."

Remus snorted, "And don't you forget it!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah… Look, I'm going to watch for the Aurors from the lobby. They'll probably come through the front door. Could you keep an eye on the Americans for me?"

Remus nodded.

"If they ask you about Harry Potter, just tell them you haven't seen me in a while." He winked," It's true enough, with the glamours on, you haven't!"

Remus laughed, "Get on with you!"

* * *

Out in the lobby, Harry studied the entrance area. Once out past the doors and that sculpture, the lobby was large and open. With the large glass windows, a few wandering visitors and the attendant there was too much of a chance that a Muggle would see any spell he cast.

Unless… An evil idea popped into his head.

It should work too, as long as no one came through the glass doors directly behind the Aurors. The doorman stood outside but he was facing the street, so he shouldn't be a problem. If he stood in the coatroom doorway, he would have a clear shot and could make sure no one was behind them. The large sculpture would block people in the lobby from seeing just what happened in the entrance hall. All he needed was a little luck and good timing… and a spot with a good view to watch the aftermath.

At about half past twelve, three men approached the entrance of Sotheby's. Harry could tell at a glance they were magical. No self-respecting Muggle would wear those clothes. The doorman eyed them strangely but he held the door for them and then turned back toward the street.

The big one with shaggy gray hair patted the leader on the shoulder and said, " Don't worry so much Greene, we'll get them."

The one with the blue bow-tie nodded, "Be a piece of cake. The Minister'll probably give us a bonus."

_Yep… It was definitely them. The same three from the airport by the sound of it._ Harry checked to make sure that no one was looking.

Taking careful aim, he fired just as they passed the door. The transfiguration washed over them and they started to shrink…

He began to wish he'd brought a camera…

* * *

The team decided to call it a day at five o'clock. They had spent the entire time either watching the auction room or the lobby area and had questioned most of the employees, as well as several of the more regular customers. The stakeout hadn't yielded much in results. Those people that knew Harry Potter from his photo hadn't seen him in several weeks.

The most interesting part of the entire day had been the commotion just after lunchtime, which had drawn nearly everyone in the building. It had all started with a lot of shouting and what sounded like barking.

Everyone poured out of the auction room and the galleries. They entered the lobby to find the Security guards and numerous other employees trying to corral three dogs: a small white Poodle with a blue bow who had several females coo-ing over it and seemed quite pleased with all the attention, a large scaredy-cat Sheepdog who deftly avoided everyone's outstretched hands and kept trying to hide in corners and a rather vicious Pomeranian which looked like it wanted to take the Doorman's hand off.

After an entertaining chase around the lobby and front gallery, all three dogs were eventually caught. The Pomeranian was the tough one. It was slipperier than a bar of wet soap and incredibly fast when it wanted to be. After many skirmishes, he was finally trapped in the lady's restroom underneath a sink, but not before biting four people and causing one lady to sprain her wrist when diving under a partition trying to catch it. They were all soon carted off to a nearby animal shelter.

The crowd wandered off still talking and laughing to return to their interrupted activities, but it was fun while it lasted.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Talk about irony... I was worried that I wouldn't have enough to fill in this chapter and then ended up with so much I broke it into two chapters.

_**Chapter 6: Are All Your Days Like This?**_

* * *

_**  
**_

_**Early Morning, Hotel Lobby**_

Harry sat in the hotel lobby waiting for the Americans to come down. His good mood had carried over from yesterday and he couldn't help smiling every time he thought about it. The 'look' on the lead Auror's face when he figured out his predicament! Absolutely priceless. And a Pomeranian, no less. He couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed so hard.

He'd come prepared today and brought his wrist unit CCD (Camelot Communications Device) as well as his Emergency Trunk- shrunk down to pocket size, of course. The CCD had been set to receive the recorded text from his little 'spy' on Scrimgeour's cane. It also had a nice keyword function to scroll through the garbage and down to conversations with words like Harry Potter and Americans. A big time-saver for him. His trunk contained all kinds of things, which might be useful in an emergency situation. From medical potions to his Invisibility Cloak to a wizarding tent, it had come in handy several times. Although he'd noticed he was low on some of his Fred and George specials. Perhaps he could drop by and see them today.

Harry figured that the canine Aurors would probably be found by tonight or maybe tomorrow, depending on how good the ones sent after them were. That meant that he and the Americans shouldn't be bothered today, but just to be on the safe side he'd decided to keep a nominal eye on them.

When they came through the lobby this morning, Harry was going to tag them with tracking charms. He's bought a fairly detailed map of London and charmed it to receive the tracking signals. (Hermione would be so proud.) This way he could keep track of all four of them even if they went in separate directions. He only wished this map would show who was with them, like the Marauder's Map- but then that was a work of art.

Pretty soon they came trickling and went for breakfast in the restaurant. Harry discretely placed his charms. He opened the map. It seemed to be working, so between the map and keeping an eye on the Minister's chats that should make things easier.

_He was also going to have to think about what to do when Scrimgeour's Aurors came after them again… He didn't think Confundus charms or simple pranks would be enough the next time. What he really needed was for the Americans to go home but he didn't imagine his luck went that far._

_Maybe Remus was right… Maybe he should just talk to them. They certainly weren't giving up easily. NOT that he couldn't stall them indefinitely… But this whole business had aroused his curiosity- Just why were they so determined to talk to him? Because he had dug around into their backgrounds and the Langford expedition? What did they want?_

* * *

_**Hotel Restaurant, Breakfast Conversations**_

"Are you sure you don't mind going with T back to Sotheby's today, 'cause if you do, I could- " Jack pressed, still a little annoyed about drawing the short straw this morning.

"We'll be just fine, sir," Sam replied and shot him a look that said she knew what he was doing. "And I'm sure you'll learn all sorts of new things about the latest archeological discoveries while you're with Daniel and Weasley." She smirked.

"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of," sighed O'Neill.

"Is Jack trying to get out of going with me again?" asked Daniel.

"Nooo… I wouldn't do that. You know it's going to make my day Daniel."

"Oh good… Then you won't mind if I bring ALL my notes on the digs so Weasley and I can talk about ALL the highlights, right?" said Daniel smoothly.

Jack looked like he really wanted to come back with something cutting when Sam interrupted with, "Boys! Maybe Weasley'll have an address on Potter. The cousin said they were friends and they've been on digs together. Hopefully, it will pan out and we can get on with this assignment."

"Yeah, you're right, Carter," said Jack.

"Where's Teal'c, anyway? We're going to have to leave soon if we want to be there when Sotheby's opens."

"Oh- he's out choosing his donuts," O'Neill smirked, "You know how seriously he takes his stakeouts."

Sam smiled.

"I'll see you later, Sam," said Daniel as he got up. "I think I'll go through my notes one more time, Jack. We should probably leave by 11am to make sure we're not late, okay?"

Jack grunted out an agreement.

* * *

_**New Bond Street**_

Auror Neville Longbottom sighed as he Apparated to the hidden alcove between two stores on New Bond St. Why did they always stick him with cleaning up after those three morons? Apparently they couldn't even go to question some harmless Muggles, for Merlin's sake!

He waited for the familiar loud 'CRACK' as his partner arrived and silently thanked the foresight of those who'd put up Silencing charms around Apparition Points. One thing about Colin Creevey, he was rarely quiet about doing anything.

Colin gave him a cheerful grin. "Are you ready to go, Nev?" He absently adjusted the strap of his ever-present camera to a more comfortable position.

Neville nodded. They set off with Neville wondering why Colin always insisted on bringing that thing along, even on routine cleanup assignments.

"So, did they tell you exactly what Greene and his two flunkies were after this time?" asked Colin, "Or just send us out to tidy up any messes."

"Actually, Greene and company didn't report back in yesterday. I heard they did the same thing a few days ago. Maybe they figure they don't have to report to the MLE since Scrimgeour is always giving them 'special assignments'," Neville said. "Anyways, Archibald wanted it checked out."

"Does Old Archie think something happened to them?"

"I think it's more about making a point that all Aurors answer to their supervisors and the Head of Magical Law Enforcement. NOT to Minister Scrimgeour," Nev grinned, "And you know he hates it when you call him that."

"I know." Colin grinned back and continued walking with a bounce in his step. "Where're we going first?"

"All we know is that they were supposed to question some American Muggles at Sotheby's. So, we'll stop there first. After that, we'll just have to see."

* * *

_**Café Emm, London**_

Even after leaving early, Jack and Daniel only made it to Café Emm with 15 minutes to spare. It was a small restaurant painted a cheerful blue and white. The place sort of reminded Jack of a 50s Diner back in the States.

Seated at one of the outdoor tables, shaded by an umbrella was a red-haired man. He was in his early thirties, dressed casually in jeans with a brown-leather jacket and had his hair pulled back in a ponytail.

He looked up as they approached and his glaze skipped back and forth between them before settling on Jackson.

"Daniel Jackson?" he asked. At Daniel's nod he smiled and held out his hand. "Bill Weasley, pleased to meet you." He turned to O'Neill.

"Oh- this is Jack O'Neill a friend of mine. It's good of you to take the time to see us," Daniel said.

"No problem. It's always nice to talk with a fellow Egyptologist. I was coming into town to see my brothers today anyway. Here, have a seat. We're a little early for lunch, the Café doesn't officially open until noon. So… what did you want to know? Your note said you wanted to talk about the most recent Egyptian digs. "

"Yes, I was intrigued that so many of your trips were to temples sites of the gods Ra and Seth. Places that have been pretty much picked clean in the past few thousand years. Why those sites? Do you have a theory or are you looking for something in particular at these places?" questioned Daniel.

"Actually, I've just been an advisor along for the ride on the last couple of trips. A friend of mine has several theories he's exploring and he's been looking at a number of sites, particularly ruins around Giza and Heliopolis. "

Heliopolis? Is your friend interested in the solar cults?"

"Yeah, I remember from our last trip, we found this marvelous plaque. It showed Ra bearing the solar disk across the night sky using a boat or solar chariot."

Daniel looked thoughtful, "Did it have any hieroglyphs on it?"

"Yeah, but they were a dialect I didn't recognize."

"Have you ever seen anything similar before?"

"Hmm… Well, about three years ago we found an unusual medallion with similar markings…" Weasley mused.

"How was it 'unusual'?" asked Daniel.

"It was perfectly circular piece with a the never-ending circle of the kartoush around the eye of Ra. And it had the strange hieroglyphs evenly spaced around the outside of the ring. Actually I thought it _was _a kartoush at first but it didn't have a king's name, just the eye."

"And what happened to this medallion?"

"I think Harry kept that one. Why?" Weasley asked. "Are you interested in a particular artifact?"

"Actually Mr. Weasley, there were several things we wanted to ask you about," said Daniel. "And most of them revolve around your friend, Harry Potter."

Weasley's friendly expression froze and his face became guarded.

"Such as?"

"Well, we know you've been on at least four expedition to Egypt with him in the last two years."

"Your point?"

"People tend to get to know one another on trips like that."

Weasley didn't answer.

"How long have you known him? Do you know where he is now?" Daniel continued to press.

"Daniel- " Jack snapped. "Look, Weasley…"

"Who are you!?" Weasley barked. "What do you want with Harry? Hasn't he been hurt enough? If you reporters would just leave him alone-!!!!"

"What 'reporters'? We just- " Daniel's voice rose also.

"Well, you can Just Bugger Off!" snarled Weasley.

TTHHWEEEEEEEEEEETTTT!!! O'Neill's loud whistle cut through the argument and caused quite a few heads to turn.

"Whoa! Just cool down, both of you!" Jack ordered. "Now… as I was saying before you two went off half cocked! Weasley… Look, I'm not sure what you mean by Potter being hurt but we are not reporters. We just needed to talk to him about an expedition he was on a few weeks ago in Central America. That's all."

They were interrupted by a waitress who hesitantly approached and asked, "Is everything alright out here?"

Daniel, looking rather embarrassed said, "Ah- Yeah, we're… we're fine. Could you get us some menus and we'll order please."

"S-Sure, sir," and she went back inside.

Weasley looked rather deflated and the tips of his ears had gone rather red. "Huh- hmm… Maybe we should start over," he said sheepishly.

"Good idea. I'm Col. Jack O'Neill, US Air Force and this is Dr. Daniel Jackson, mild-mannered Archeologist."

Weasley chuckled, "Bill Weasley, hot-headed Egyptologist."

"Great! Now on to important stuff- " they both glanced at him curiously. "Like Lunch!" and they laughed. The waitress came back with the menus and conversation petered off as they placed their orders and their meals were served.

* * *

_**Sotheby's**_

Neville and Colin continued on to Sotheby's, where the doorman gave them a nod. He was reaching for the door handle when Neville stopped him.

"Excuse me sir," he said, "But could we ask you a couple of questions?"

"Eh? Well, o'course ya can."

"Thank you. In that case, my partner and I are looking for 3 blokes who would have come through here yesterday. Would you have been on duty then?" asked Neville.

"Yeah, I was. What would they be lookin' like then. Was they a wearin' anythin' eye catchin'. 'Cause a lot a people come through here," the doorman asked.

"Eye catching… Hmmm. Let's see. Grevins always wears this silly blue bowtie. Jacobson has shaggy gray hair and no fashion sense at all. And Greene always seems to be in a bad mood- He's a rather disagreeable chap with a face to match," said Neville. "Can you think of anything else Colin?"

"They would come by after noon or a little later," put in Colin.

"Oh yeah… I think I's remember them. 'At was just afore the big fracus yesterday."

"What fracus? Do you remember what time this was sir?"

"Aye, was just after lunch. One o'clock I think. An' the fracus was 3 pooches somehow got into the buildin' and played merry hell, 'at's what!"

"How'd 3 dogs get in there?" asked Colin curiously.

"Yeah, at's what everyone wants to know. I's almost lost me job. An' I's swore they didn't come through here."

"Well, looks like they believed you. You're still here," Neville said matter-of-factly. "Is there someone inside who might have seen these fellows we're looking for?"

"Ya might check with Lester, he's the Lobby Attendant or Oliver Wentworth, he keeps an eye on the auction room. Or Mr. Lupin, he's an Assessor but he was in the lobby during the fracus yesterday. So maybe he saw somethin'."

"Lupin? Remus Lupin?" said Neville in surprise.

"Yep, at's him."

"Well, Thank you for your time sir."

"Anytime," and he opened the door for them.

* * *

"Did you know about Professor Lupin working here, Nev?" asked Colin quietly. 

"No. I didn't. Well, that'll make things easier, but we'd better hit the others first- just to be sure."

"Okay, I'll take Lester the attendant. You try this Oliver chap."

They split up, but neither Lester nor Oliver Wentworth remembered seeing the three missing Aurors. In fact, no one they asked could remember even seeing them in the building.

"Come on, Colin," Neville finally said. "Let's try Lupin. Wentworth said he was back in his office."

They went down the long hallway to the end and a door marked 'Assessor'. After knocking a voice called to come in.

"Why Neville! And Colin too. What brings you two here of all places?" said Remus in surprise.

"Good day Professor Lupin," said Neville.

"Hey Professor," piped Colin.

"Boys, I haven't been your professor for over ten years. Just call me Remus. Now, what can I do for you."

"Oh, we've just been trying to find Aaron Greene and his two flunkies, Prof- I mean Remus. None of the Muggles seem to have noticed them hanging around yesterday so I was hoping you had. They'd be hard to miss if they'd been here… They kind of stick out, 'specially in a Muggle crowd."

Remus' eyes twinkled, "Oh," he said, "I think I might… What do you know about their assignment yesterday?"

"Just that they were supposed to question some Muggles who were coming here and that they never reported back in."

"Remus, sir. What's so funny?" asked Colin who started to grin also. "Come on, give. It must be really good."

So Remus told them about the 'puppy fiasco' and by the time he got to the part about the Poodle's blue bow and Pomeranian biting everyone, they were all laughing hard. Colin had tears streaming down his face.

Neville finally calmed down enough to shake his head, "Only Harry," he said and chuckled.

Remus nodded and wrote down the name and address of the Animal Shelter the dogs had been sent to.

"Well, at least we know where to find them," He sobered. "Do I want to know how Harry's listening to the Minister's private conversations?"

Remus got serious too. "I didn't and so he didn't tell me."

"Right. Good point. But he actually heard Scrimgeour order those 3 morons to arrest these Americans just for wanting to talk to Harry? How ridiculous! That's really stepping over the line."

"I believe Harry said his exact words were 'bring them in for questioning and Potter too if you can catch him' and something about Harry planning on overthrowing the Ministry."

"Just as well it hasn't worked, if that got out Scrimgeour would have some serious problems over it. He's been stepping on so many toes lately…" Neville sighed and shook his head.

Remus looked glum. "It might not be such a bad thing if the whole Ministry was over-hauled."

"So- how's Harry doing these days," asked Colin brightly, "Besides pranking Aurors?"

Remus laughed. "Oh, he's fine. He definitely keeps himself busy. I understand he's working on several projects in Central America at the moment."

"Good for him, although I wish he'd stop by for a visit one of these days," Neville said as he got to his feet. "Tell him to drop in for a Mo' when he's got the time. Harry's always welcome in my home. I'm sure that Hannah and the children would love to see him as well."

"I'll tell him... whether it'll do any good…" he shrugged. "You two take care, and have fun rescuing the canine wonders."

Neville groaned, "Greene's going to be hopping mad over this, sir. You'd better tell Harry to keep his head down for a bit 'til this blows over. 'Bye sir."

"Bye Professor," Colin waved.

"Oh- Colin, if your camera should happen to snap a few pictures of certain dogs at the animal shelter, I'm sure Harry and I would appreciate some copies."

Colin grinned and winked.

* * *

_**Café Emm**_

"So- Harry was in Central America on a dig, eh?" mused Bill. "I didn't know he'd been out of the country. Is that how you met him?"

"Actually Jack here, was the one who met Potter," said Daniel.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, Potter said he was following a lead on some unexplored ruins. Daniel here was _supposed_ to be at the same place, but he'd gotten into some trouble with the locals and needed rescuing." He smirked at Daniel who glared back promising retaliation.

Weasley snorted, "That sounds like our Harry. He always says he doesn't go looking for trouble but he always winds up in the middle of it." He snickered.

"Sounds like you know him fairly well," Jack said quietly.

"Yeah… " Bill sighed, "Ever since he was a kid. My family sort of officially adopted him. His relatives… Well, things weren't good for him in Surrey."

"Yeah, I met the aunt," said Jack.

"Quite a piece of work, isn't she?"

"Yeah."

"So how did he get interested in Archeology?" asked Daniel, "Was he following in your footsteps?"

"Ah no… No. He… found some artifacts here in Britain. After what happened at the end of his secondary schooling, well… so many of his friends were dead. Harry didn't seem to know what to do with himself. But after he found those pieces… He said he'd found something that needed to be done and he was the one who needed to do it."

"What sort of artifacts?"

"Oh, they were gold armbands with a crystal on one side," Bill said. "He's located a lot more since then."

Jack and Daniel exchanged glances.

"Did you take him with you on digs?" Daniel asked.

"At first, yeah. I introduced him to some people I know and helped him get started. But lately, it's been the other way around. Harry knows what he's looking for now. He goes off by himself a lot."

"Do you know what he was looking for in Honduras?" asked Jack.

"No, I don't," said Bill, his face looked concerned. "You said you needed to talk to him about that. Is he in some kind of trouble across the pond?"

"Not that we know of," Daniel said quickly. "Look, Mr. Weasley- "

"Oh just call me Bill, that reminds me too much of my father." A brief expression of intense sadness crossed his face.

"Of course, Bill. As for Mr. Potter it's more like his presence there raised some questions and then his qualifications raised some professional interest. Our boss wanted us to check him out. We were to talk to him and get those questions answered first and then possibly even offer him a job if we liked what we found."

"So, can you tell us where to find him or how to get in touch with him?" put in Jack.

Bill stared at him briefly and then sighed. "Um… That's where it gets a bit sticky."

"Come again?"

"Harry's a very private person and the only way to get to his home is if he personally takes you there. In fact, only one- " a slow, thoughtful smile appeared, "No, make that two people, could get you in…"

"Private? Sounds more like paranoid to me," said Jack, " What's he do- live in a bank vault?"

The paranoid crack made Bill grin. "Well, a little paranoia is good for you. I remember one of his teachers used to shout 'Constant Vigilance!' all the time."

Daniel broke in with, "You said one of two people?"

"Yeah… I think you should talk to Patrick Anderson."

"And who's he?" asked Jack.

"Anderson, Anderson," muttered Daniel. "Yes, I remember… a shop owner we spoke to mentioned him. What's his connection to Potter? Friend? Associate? Business Partner?

"Well, all of them, really. Patrick Anderson knows Harry Potter _very_ well. If anyone could get Harry to talk to you, it'd be him."

"Even better than you? You said you knew him as a kid."

"Yeah, I met Harry when he was twelve. My youngest brother was Harry's best mate, but I was working in Egypt at the time. I only got to know him better much later when I got married and settled here in England."

"What about your brother?" asked Daniel.

"He's dead," Bill said quietly. "He died when he was seventeen."

"Oh sorry."

Bill just shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Look, I'll contact Patrick today. Do you have a cell phone number? I can call you if he's free."

Jack wrote it down.

"Brilliant!" Bill said as he got up. "I'll try to get back with you by 3 o'clock, alright?"

* * *

_**Reports**_

"Yeah, this is Colonel O'Neill, I need a secure line and a patch through to General Hammond in Cheyenne Mountain."

"Yes sir, it'll be just a moment." There was a series of clicks and then the phone rang again.

It was soon snatched up and a voice barked, "Hammond."

"Yes sir, just checking in."

"Col. O'Neill? I could use a status report. Have you located the target yet?"

"Ah, no sir. He's proving to be rather elusive."

"What _have_ you got so far?"

"We've talked to several people who know Potter and have staked out one of his most frequent stops. Hopefully, one of them pans out soon."

"Any conclusions, as yet?" Hammond asked.

"Nothing conclusive yet," answered O'Neill. "From what we've pieced together so far, Potter had a rough childhood- his relatives threw him out when he was about sixteen. He got himself into college and did brilliantly academically.

The man we spoke with today, Bill Weasley is sort of a surrogate older brother to Potter. He said that at eighteen Potter found some unusual artifacts- gold armbands with crystals on one side (sounds a lot like Goa'uld shield devices, sir).

Apparently, something horrible happened around the same time and many people were killed. Potter told Weasley that quote: "There was something that needed to be done and that he needed to do it." After that he studied and trained and started going out on these digs and expeditions."

"Is there any indication about how these people were killed?"

"No sir, I'm going to have Carter look into it. She and Teal'c are on stakeout duty right now.

The good news is we're getting closer. Weasley said he'd put us in contact with Potter's best friend. Apparently only two people know exactly where Potter lives. Weasley's supposed to call me this afternoon. This kid sure is security conscious."

"Anything else?"

"Just that, whatever it is that Potter knows, he hasn't shared with anyone, even his older brother. I think it's safe to say he understands about operational security, sir."

"I'll keep that in mind Colonel. You just see about finding him- then we'll talk."

"Fine. Signing off," O'Neill snapped his phone shut.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Well, here's the next installment. I thought it turned out pretty good. I don't know why, but I was very nervous about writing the action scene at the end. Hopefully it's all clear. And I'll apologize now for the "were you trying to make us look stupid" joke but I couldn't resist. It just fit in so well.

_**Chapter 7: Some Days Are Worse**_

* * *

"You told them what!" Harry yelped.

"I said I'd help get ahold of Patrick Anderson," Bill said calmly.

"Why? Why not just Harry Potter?" Harry asked. "I'd almost decided to talk to them anyways. Why the charade?"

"I guess I just thought that it would give you an out if things turned sour," said Bill. "I mean these blokes said they just wanted to talk but we don't know that it's true."

"It could also backfire later," Harry said dryly. "And I can't Obliviate them again so soon."

"What do you mean 'again'?"

Harry went a bit pink. "I sorta bumped into them at the airport when they arrived. Three Aurors were going question them."

"And what else did you do?" Bill asked.

"Just got them out of there and took them to the Vauxhall Interchange."

"Riight… Fine…" he paused. "So you won't go as Anderson… Why not?"

"I just don't think that it will work Bill, " said Harry. "They've already seen Patrick Anderson. Twice if you count the airport."

"When was this?"

"Yesterday at Sotheby's."

"What were they doing there?" asked Bill curiously.

"Looking for me," said Harry.

"How do you know that?"

"They asked me."

"What!?"

"I told them I hadn't seen myself at Sotheby's in a while," Harry smirked.

Bill rolled his eyes. "Typical. Talking with you is almost as bad as trying to get a straight answer out of the twins."

"Oooo- That's a low blow Bill," he paused. "I'm sure I could be more confusing than Fred and George if I actually wanted to…"

Bill groaned, "So… What? You've been following them around as Anderson?"

"I have NOT been following them… Just nudging Scrimgeour's Aurors away," Harry shrugged. "Speaking of which, when you call them back… Do you think we should warn them to change hotels tonight? Those Aurors might be coming back."

"I'll tell them, whether they listen… When and where would you want to meet them?" Bill asked.

"Well, if they're staying at the Mariott, there's Regent's Park just down the street. How about there? Tell them to meet me at the York Bridge at the south end of the park at 5 o'clock. Oh- and tell them to bring their own loaf of bread."

Bill gave him an odd look but walked to the nearby payphone and dialed.

* * *

_**Wood Greene Animal Shelter, Lordship Lane**_

After a bit of searching, Neville and Colin soon located the Wood Greene Animal Shelter. It was a handsome two-story gray house with a black roof and white trim. Potted plants and flowers filled the corners of a paved courtyard surrounded by a black iron fence and there appeared to be a small back garden area as well. All over a well kept, attractive place.

The Aurors rang the bell and asked the lady if they could see the dogs because they were thinking about adopting. Miss Kent was thrilled and began nattering on about how many unfortunate animals never received good homes.

"Such a shame… And we just never have enough room for all those that come in," she chattered as they walked back toward the kennel area.

"You gentlemen just wait right here, while I get the key."

"Colin- whatever you do- please don't laugh," Neville said, "Because I don't think I'll be able to keep a straight face if you do."

Colin tried not to snicker. "You don't suppose they went and got themselves adopted, do you?" he asked innocently.

Neville valiantly struggled to keep his serious expression. Once his face was back under control he growled, "Merlin Creevey, don't even suggest such a thing. Think of the paperwork!"

Colin grinned, "Not to mention tracking them down and getting them away from some little boy who's thrilled with his new puppy."

"Right, so let's not mention it," said Neville.

Miss Kent soon came back and she let them in to browse up and down the rows of cages. Dogs of all shapes and sizes were soon barking at them.

Neville quickly found Jacobson as the large shaggy Sheepdog was hard to miss next to the smaller dogs in his pen. A discrete _Revealo_ spell showed the wizard's aura around the dog confirming his identity. One down.

Colin found three white Poodles but fortunately only one had a blue bow. At least that silly bowtie came in handy for something and the spell revealed it was indeed Grevins. Now they just needed to find Greene.

The two Aurors searched every cage but there was no trace of the Pomeranian. Finally, Neville asked Miss Kent, saying that his wife had always wanted one. She got rather flustered and confined that they'd had one come in only the previous day.

"But you wouldn't want him!" she said. "Nasty little thing- tries to bite anyone who goes near it. I think it'll have to be put down- poor thing."

Neville and Colin exchanged glances. It definitely sounded like Greene.

"Well, can I at least see it?" Neville asked.

She tutted but agreed.

Tucked away in the backroom were a few more cages. One of which contained a small brown dog. It went rather wild-eyed when it saw them and began to snarl and growl.

"Yes, I see what you mean Miss," said Neville. "Uh… Why don't you go fill out the paperwork for those three dogs that we decided on. Alright?" He hit her with a small memory charm as she turned away.

"Oh yes, I'll do that…" she said in a vague voice and wandered off toward the front.

He leaned over, closer to the cage and softly said, "Greene, if you don't pipe down and act like a civilized dog, I just might conveniently 'forget' you and bring back some other pooch. Now shut up!"

The dog narrowed it's eyes but stopped snarling and growling.

"That's better," said Neville opening the cage door. "Now come along… We'll change you back as soon as we get you somewhere private."

Colin made sure to get lots of snapshots of their new 'babies'. They were soon done with the paperwork including recommendations of nearby Veterinarians for getting their pets neutered. Colin was chortling by that time and Neville hustled them all out the door leaving a slightly confused Miss Kent with three less dogs.

Just down the street, they ducked into an alley and examined the animals.

"What spell do you figure he used, Neville?" asked Colin.

"I'm not sure… Let me do a scanning charm. Hmm… Looks like _Verte Canus _but very strongly cast."

It took both of them together to get the canine transfiguration to unwind but the Aurors were soon back to normal. Or as normal as they got.

Aaron Greene still looked like he wanted to bite someone.

"Do you know what those horrible- those stinking Muggles did to us!" Greene snarled.

"Yeah! They had a Vegetarian come poke at us! It was humiliating."

"I don't know… I rather enjoyed the bath," said Grevins. The other two stared at him. He turned red and his eyes dropped. "Never mind."

Greene turned on Neville, "You certainly took your sweet time getting here, Longbottom! Probably on purpose."

Neville's eyes narrowed, "We were told to starting looking for you only this noon. You might want to think about that the next time you skip out and don't bother reporting in. Archibald isn't happy with you three."

Jacobson snorted, "Like we care! Minister Scrimgeour'll fix that."

"What I want to know is who hit us at Sotheby's! And then I'm gonna make him wish he'd never been born!" said Greene.

"Riight… Like you could even touch Harry Potter without major backup," laughed Colin.

"Potter did this?! Come on boys. We'll just see about that!" Greene growled and stalked away.

"Well- that was unpleasant," said Colin.

Neville stared after Greene looking troubled. "I don't know Colin. You really shouldn't have mentioned Harry. Who know what they'll try next time."

* * *

_**Charing Cross Road**_

Auror Aaron Greene had to consciously stop himself from grinding his teeth anymore than he already had. Why did he always have to work with such idiots? They should have seen this fiasco coming and done something.

He glared at Jacobson when he poked him in the ribs. "Hey, Greene. What are we gonna do now?" he whined. "We can't go back to HQ without those Muggles. The Boss, he won't be happy."

"I KNOW! Now shut up and let me think."

The other two quieted down and dropped back behind him where Grevins kept complaining he was hungry. Jacobson softly agreed and said those dog-biscuits just didn't fill a man up! Idiots!

Greene rubbed his aching head as they continued down Charing Cross Road towards the Leaky Calderon. _What made him even angrier was the fact that Creevey of all people was right. There was no way he and the two knuckleheads behind him could take out Harry Potter and four other people, even if they were only Muggles._

_What they needed was some Muscle. At least three maybe four, to distract Potter while his team did the serious work. Mr. Big-Shot Potter wouldn't look so tough after that. Maybe Knockturn Alley… There were always Bully Boys hanging out near The Rat's Nest._

"Come on, you two. I got an idea how we can bring this off yet."

* * *

_**Regent's Park, London**_

It was a pleasant day for a walk in a park, thought Daniel, he and Jack strolled along the outer ring of Regent's Park. The sun was shining and the tall trees shaded the paved walkways that wound through the manicured lawns. Some kids with a kite ran across the grass, families were settled on blankets and couples walked hand-in-hand.

The path led southward towards the small waterway that was scattered with ducks and geese. A few boats paddled away from a rental place that also sold ice cream and snacks.

Daniel started a bit when Jack nudged his arm and said, "So… why do you think he wanted us to bring bread?"

"Sandwiches?" suggested Daniel. "Maybe he's like you- and only thinks with his stomach."

"It's one of man's most important parts," Jack threw back, "We should keep it happy."

"That's all you need to keep happy, huh?"

"Well, a new 50" flat panel television for my den would go over quite nicely too… " smirked Jack.

Daniel rolled his eyes. "How do you think we should approach this guy?"

"I was kinda gonna play that by ear, as we don't know much about him."

As they rounded the bend, they could see a small bridge arching over the canal. A young man with dark hair was standing near the middle leaning on the railing. He was wearing black jeans and a T-shirt that said **_QUIDDITCH PLAYERS DO IT ON THE FLY_**. Across his left arm was a light-weight jacket and dangling from his right was a loaf of bread.

Jack nodded at Daniel and they started up the bridge. They were only yards away when he suddenly turned and looked unerringly right at them. Both were a little thrown when they realized they were standing next to Harry Potter and not Patrick Anderson.

He smiled slightly and said, "Hello. I heard you've been looking for me."

"Uh… yeah," said Daniel intelligently.

"Great. You brought some bread… It never seems like I bring enough, ya know?"

"Yeah, right," said Jack somewhat agreeably, still wondering what the deal was with the bread.

"Well, come on, I know a good spot on this side of the bridge," Harry said. He turned and walked off down to the riverbank.

Getting their act together, Jack and Daniel hurried after him. He led them to a pair of benches near the water. Potter sat down and opened the twisty-tie on his bread-loaf. The plastic wrapping crinkled and it seemed to send a signal up and down the waterway. Ducks, geese and even a few swans started heading their way. The whole crowd waddling up on the bank and surrounding the benches. Pigeons began dropping in too.

Now realizing what the bread was for, Daniel figured they needed to open theirs in shear self-defense. Things were a bit chaotic but as Potter had said, the bread didn't last very long with that kind of mob. The disgruntled late-comers eventually wandered off when they realized their breadline had run out.

Harry turned to the others, "So… I suppose introductions are first. I'm Harry, Harry Potter." He held out his hand and looked expectantly at Jack.

"Colonel Jack O'Neill, US Air Force."

"The man from Central America with the large gun, I remember," Harry said as they shook hands.

"And I'm, Daniel Jackson."

"The Dr. Daniel Jackson with the theories about aliens and the pyramids? I've read your work."

"Yeah… that's me. Mr. Potter- " Daniel started.

"Just call me Harry, I'm not formal."

"Okay... Harry. We've been looking for you because frankly we had some concerns about why you were in Honduras."

"Such as?"

First off, the information. How did you find that exact ruin? Books? Journals? Did someone tell you about it?"

Potter gave him an odd look. "I believe you know exactly where I got that location Dr. Jackson. You were there before I was. As for the information, it's much closer to your doorstep than mine."

"So your source was Nicholas Ballard."

"Yes, his notes on the Fountain of Youth."

"Where did you get them?"

"That's not important," Harry said shortly.

"It could be…"

"But it's not."

Daniel paused, "Alright, how did you get there? I couldn't find any flight records…"

Potter's mouth quirked, " I believe I arranged for some private transportation." His eyes seemed to twinkle. "Sometimes it's best."

"Best for what?" Jack butted in.

"Transporting objects."

"What objects?"

"The ones that need transporting."

"How do you decide which one need transporting?" asked Jack, starting to get into the swing of the conversation.

Potter grinned, "Why the really dangerous ones that generate a lot of paperwork, of course."

"Of course," Jack grinned back, "Paperwork can be very dangerous."

"Excuse me," Daniel butted in, "Do you understand exactly what was being held in that temple? Do you know how dangerous it could be? Jack said you were alone. You shouldn't be going after dangerous artifacts in unknown places by yourself- "

"Pardon me, Dr. Jackson. I wasn't the one who triggered the temple's defenses and flooded the place. I didn't get kidnapped by the local insurgents and then get shot trying to escape!

And please don't patronize me about my work. I know exactly how dangerous some of these artifacts can be." His eyes flashed and he started to stand up.

"Wait! Um… Harry," said Jack. "We've also dealt with these devices before and I think you know what I mean. They can be deadly in some cases; so I think we're right to be concerned, okay?"

Harry's tense stance eased and he slowly sat back down. "Alright… What is it you want to know?"

Jack smiled his 'let's all be friends now' grin. "So… How many of these… artifacts do you have?"

"I don't know… I never counted."

"What do you mean, you don't know?" asked Daniel.

"Because- counting how many I have wasn't the point."

What was the point, Harry?" asked Jack.

"The point was and is how many are still out there," he said. "Speaking of which, did the Ancient healing device help you with your Kull warrior problem?"

"How did you know- " Daniel stopped. "You were there! After we escaped the guerillas- Jack, do you remember… we were talking and there was a voice, right behind us?"

"Yeah, I do remember that. If that was you, why couldn't we see you? Why didn't you help?"

Harry snorted, "Like you needed any. I didn't have a gun. Actually, I was going to help Dr. Jackson when he was shot, but you showed up in time. And I did hide the other man's trail."

"Infurry?"

"What?" said Potter while Jack looked confused.

"You were behind us and you said that," prompted Daniel. "What does it mean?"

"Oh… Inferi. Yeah, that's a word for the walking dead. Zombies, I think you call them in the States. Practically unstoppable, except by fire or- " he gestured to Jack, "Being blown up by your friend, Burke." He paused, "Is it just me, or is he a little… out there?"

"No, he's out there," said Jack. "And you heard us talking…"

Harry grinned cheekily, "Yeah. Loose lips sink ships. You fellas should be more careful."

The two men grimaced.

Jack's cell phone interrupted and he unclipped it from his belt.

Harry said, "If that's your friends at Sotheby's, you probably should tell them they don't have to stay there all day when you've already found me, eh?"

"Uh… yeah, I'll tell them," said Jack. "Although they're probably on their way back by now." The phone rang again. "Excuse me…" and he stepped away to answer.

Daniel and Harry were left staring at each other feeling awkward, until Daniel blurted out, "Your friend Bill Weasley said he'd taken you to the Bahariya Oasis and you two worked with Dr. Zahi Hawass' team on the community tombs found there. What was that like?" he asked with friendly curiosity.

Potter stared at him for a minute before a happy smile broke over his face. "Absolutely brilliant! It's Bill's favorite and he's been back there several times since it was discovered in '96. So many mummies! A bit too recent for my own studies, only 5th century BC, ya know. I take it you keep up with the most recent discoveries?" he asked.

"I try," said Daniel modestly. "How many mummies have been found so far?"

"About 207, last time I checked. Fascinating how entire families were buried together in a room," Potter's face looked sad.

They chatted quite happily until Jack came back.

"Hey you Rock-Pickers! That was the others. They'd like to meet back at the hotel."

"Well, I suppose I should let you get going," announced Harry. "Let's walk back around the ring and then I think I'll go find something to eat. I was busy and missed tea. It's too nice a day to spend it just sitting." Harry bounced up and started walking. He turned and said, "Are you coming?"

Jack and Daniel stood and hurried to catch up, both wondering how they'd lost control of the conversation.

* * *

_**Back to the Hotel**_

Harry walked away thinking about their earlier conversation. They hadn't really said anything. Except for their expressions at times. He smiled remembering the gobsmacked look on O'Neill and Jackson's goldfish imitation.

_I guess I'm not cut out for this secret agent stuff._ He sighed but didn't turn as they caught up with him.

"Look… Harry," said Daniel, "I guess we got off on the wrong foot. We'd like to continue this discussion. We'll probably have dinner in the hotel restaurant. Come and join us."

"Yeah, ya said you were hungry," Jack put in brightly. "We'll introduce you to the others. They're loads of fun."

Daniel eyed Jack, "Yeah, a barrel of laughs." He said dryly.

Harry thought about it before agreeing. He knew they just wanted to continue the interrogation with all four of them there. Maybe he could learn some things as well. He'd love to drop the 'StarGate' bombshell into their conversation just to see their expressions. It would probably draw more questions than he wanted to answer though.

_Right! Sooo... all I have to do is figure out how much intergalactic trouble the Americans have gotten the world into, all without letting them in on everything I know. Like Magic, the Wizarding world, the Ancient City of Camelot and Moros. Riight. A piece of cake._

He mentally rolled his eyes.

They met the others about a block from the Mariott and Harry was introduced to Major Samantha Carter and Teal'c Murray. Murray was wearing a bowler hat. Harry briefly wondered if he'd ever met Cornelius Fudge. Yesterday, if he remembered correctly, Murray'd had on a black Fedora. Odd, maybe he just liked hats.

Harry said hello and they shook hands. He was intrigued by the indefinable sense of amusement that went through all of them whenever someone said Murray's name.

"Murray, huh?" Harry paused and couldn't resist. "Sooo… who saddled you with that one?"

Teal'c's eyebrow raised and then they all turned and looked pointedly at O'Neill.

"Oh… of course," Harry said over O'Neill's protests of 'Why're you all lookin' at me?'

Jack gave up, "Fine! Let's get dinner. I'm starved!" and reached for the hotel door.

Harry held the door for Major Carter and they all went inside.

SG1 and Harry had no sooner entered the hotel lobby when seven men surrounded them. They must have had Disillusionment or Notice-Me-Not charms up to have appeared so quickly. All had their wands out and looked none too friendly.

The three men directly in front of them were Scrimgeour's Aurors, apparently back for another go-round.

"Well, well, well… Look what we caught- "

Harry took a step forward. "Auror- Greene, isn't it? Just what is it you think you've caught us at?" he asked. "I see you've picked up a few playmates since I saw you last."

"Yeah, you'll be coming with us Potter. Caught red-handed with your Muggle conspirators. Minister Scrimgeour wants a word with you," snarled Greene.

"Hey Mac," said Jack. "I don't know what your problem is- "

"Maybe you could put your stick… things down and we could talk about- " suggested Sam.

"I didn't ask you Muggle! Your crimes will be examined soon enough. Now be quiet or I'll silence you myself."

"I'm sure this is just a misunderstand- " Daniel tried to say before Greene whirled around and hit him with a _Silencio_. Jack, Sam and Teal'c all stared… as his mouth kept moving but no sound came out.

"Ya know, that's kinda handy," Jack couldn't help but say.

"I Said Be Quiet!" Greene snapped. "As for you, Potter. You're not getting away so easily this time. The Minister knows all about your plans and he's going to put a stop to them."

"Scrimgeour's been reading too much of his own press if he actually believes that," said Harry.

"I don't care if it's true or not. But I do care about that stunt you pulled at Sotheby's yesterday. I don't appreciate being made a fool of."

"Yeah!" Jacobson said, "Were you trying to make us look stupid?"

"You certainly don't need my help," Harry smirked.

"That's right!" exclaimed Grevins and looked confused when Greene hit him.

Harry glanced over the 3 Stooge's shoulders and saw that the desk clerk, who had ducked down when she realized something was wrong, was now whispering urgently into the phone. He figured Security or maybe the police would be here soon.

Greene was ordering the others to conjure ropes to secure the prisoners when the two idiots on the left made the mistake of grabbing Teal'c. The large man moved quickly. With an easy dance-like movement, he elbowed the first man in the face while swinging the other into the nearby wall.

O'Neill and Jackson took advantage of the ensuing chaos and tackled the two morons on their right. Carter had stepped forward and kicked Jacobson hard in the nuts. He was presently on the floor with a few other things on his mind. Like whether he'd ever have children.

Which left Grevins and Greene to Harry. They'd fallen back to take cover- Grevins behind a large potted plant and Greene behind a support column. Both were shooting spells at the group by the door. So much for keeping magic a secret!

Harry threw up a shield to cover Carter and himself, while alternating with offensive spells between the two Aurors. It was harder to shield the other three. Teal'c spun out of the line of fire as the man he'd elbowed stupidly got back up. O'Neill was having trouble with his moron, he'd taken away his wand but the guy wouldn't hold still and kept running around the couch. Jackson had better luck and knocked his man out when he fell onto the coffee table. Then he edged along the wall trying to flank Grevins.

Jacobson staggered to his feet still holding his bits, just in time for Carter to bust a floral arrangement over his head. That's when things took a turn for the worse.

The team members were now too far apart for Harry to hold shields on everyone. When Jacobson fell (dirt and flowers still in his hair) Carter was left wide open and Greene sent what looked like a bone-crushing hex at her. Harry dropped all shields and pushed her out of the way.

While they were attempting to untangle themselves, Grevins noticed Jackson and threw a red stunner causing Daniel to drop at his feet. Teal'c and O'Neill were moving closer. Potter and Carter were getting to their feet. And the Muggle Security people had arrived and were closing in with orders and questions. Greene grabbed Jacobson and signaled Grevins to bring Jackson and they Dual-Apparated away with a loud 'CRACK'.

Harry decided that now was a good time to get out of there. He groped into his pocket for the bag of new Fred and George specials and pulled out two gray/green ones. Camouflage Clouds- Great for that Secret Getaway or Crowd Distraction the wrapper said. It seemed like a good time to test it and he tossed them in opposite directions.

A cloudy smokescreen billowed up. He grabbed O'Neill and Carter by their sleeves and towed them towards the elevator bank. After a couple of steps they followed on their own, he just hoped Teal'c came too.

The lobby was in total chaos with the smoke and milling people. Harry concentrated on casting a blanket _Confundus_ and hoped it worked. They boarded the elevator and the doors shut out the smoke and noise.

Silence.

"What floor?" he asked quietly. It sounded loud in small room. They were all staring at him.

"Uh… fifth," said Sam.

It was like her voice broke the other two out of their whirling thoughts. The elevator dinged and Teal'c and O'Neill grabbed his arms and dragged him down the hall to their rooms.

Once inside, they pushed Harry into a chair and O'Neill blew!

"Alright! Who are you? And who are they?! Where'd the _Hell_ did they take Daniel?!"


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I'm still not totally satisfied with this one but here it is anyway. If anyone can think of a better O'Neill nickname for 'wands', please let me know. I went with pea shooter here. I liked bug zapper too but that didn't exactly fit.

_**Chapter 8: The Best Laid Plans**_

* * *

"_Alright, who are you? Who're they? And where'd the Hell they take Daniel?"_

Harry blinked, "Which question do you want answered first?"

O'Neill glared down at him. "Uh… right. Short form: Harry Potter, they're Aurors and the last one- that's a bit hard to say."

"Try harder," O'Neill ground out. "The long version this time."

Harry thought briefly about the Statute of Secrecy but seeing as how the Ministry's Aurors had just staged a magical battle in the lobby, it seemed a moot point. "That's very complex and I'm not sure we'll have time to go into it. We're going to have to get Dr. Jackson out as soon as possible."

"Yeah, I know," said Jack more calmly, "But we can't go in blind. Now start with those yahoos downstairs… And what were those pea shooters?"

Harry snorted, "Pea Shooters? Oh, They'd hate that!" He got serious. "Well, those are called wands. And if someone starts shooting one at you-" he paused, "The fight downstairs is a good example. Either dodge out of the way or get behind something solid. Keep moving and if you can get close enough- take it away from them. Oh- and snapping a wand in half will destroy it.

As for the… Yahoos was it?" Harry smirked, "I don't know specifics, more like generalities."

"They seemed to know you," Jack remarked.

"You called them Aurors… what does that mean?" asked Sam.

"The Aurors are… " he stopped. "Look, this is difficult because normally such matters are not to be spoken of with anyone not in the know. Sort of Classified. I'm sure you're all acquainted with that mentality." SG1 exchanged glances and then nodded.

"With that in mind, the Aurors as a group are the approximate equivalent of Scotland Yard. They have their own department and are supposedly under only the nominal control of an elected politician called the Minister. With me so far?" The others nodded.

"What of the men who attacked us today, Harry Potter?" asked Teal'c.

"Yes, I'm getting to that. The problem right now seems to be that the current Minister, Scrimgeour, is using the Aurors to eliminate anything he sees as a threat. Those three in particular are doing the dirty work. Greene, Jacobson and Grevins are their names."

"Okay… Let me get this straight…" drawled Jack. "These… 'Oarers' are a secret police force that uses these wands as weapons. Right?"

Harry nodded.

"And some politician has been butting in and using them to threaten or otherwise remove rivals and other threats. Right?"

Another nod.

"Why hasn't anyone put a stop to it?"

"Mostly because Scrimgeour hasn't done anything (or more likely) been caught doing anything illegal yet. Although, this business tonight comes bloody close. I should tell a few friends of mine about that."

"Then, where do you fit into this? Why're you such a threat?" he asked.

Harry opened and closed his mouth but didn't know what to say. Then Major Carter stepped forward.

"I think I may know." She turned to O'Neill. "Think about it sir. When we were fighting those men in the lobby, Potter was stopping some of those energy blasts somehow. I think he may have thrown some of his own too, although I'm not sure. But… he didn't use a wand."

O'Neill looked at Harry, "That's it, isn't it?"

There was a pause and then he admitted, "Partially, yes." O'Neill looked expectantly at him but Harry just shook his head and refused to say anything more.

Jack threw his hands up, muttered, "For crying out loud…" and started pacing.

Then he stopped, "Fine. Whatever. That's not that important at the moment. Why would they want Daniel?"

Harry sighed, "Not him per se, they probably would have grabbed any of you. He was just closest and couldn't fight back."

"Why would they want any of us? We don't know anything about them. Until a few minutes ago, we didn't know they existed!" said Carter.

A flash of guilt washed through Harry. "Because you were asking questions about Harry Potter. And not just questions… you came here pushing for answers."

O'Neill's eyes narrowed, "Meaning we waltzed into a bigger can of worms than we thought, right?"

Harry nodded. "We _have_ to get Dr. Jackson away from them before he tells them everything he knows," he said urgently.

"I do not believe Daniel Jackson would tell these people anything, not even under torture," said Teal'c gravely.

"Well, I'm afraid they don't need anything quite as crude as torture. They have something far more dangerous and effective."

"What's that?" asked Jack.

"Truth serum."

* * *

_**Somewhere…**_

Daniel wasn't sure what had happened exactly. One moment, they were going to dinner and the next they were in a firefight with people using some sort of energy weapons.

He tried to think back. The fight. Colored lights flying everywhere. Oh yeah, he'd tried to get behind the one with the bowtie (since when do bad guys wear those?) Obviously not one of his better ideas. He'd seen a red light and… then nothing.

The next thing he could recall was being dragged to his feet. His hands were bound and his eyes blindfolded. He was pushed onto what he thought was an elevator and they descended at least several stories. His escorts took him through a maze of hallways and then dumped him in this room. All the without a word about who they were or what they wanted. Except for a comment about 'the Boss' not being happy.

As soon as they left, Daniel pulled off the blindfold. It didn't improve the situation much, but at least he could see.

He was in a small room, made of stone. It had no windows and only one doorway. The odd part was there were no bars or door. He got to his feet and crossed to the doorway but it was like an invisible wall was blocking the exit. Perhaps a force field of some kind. Not good.

So he turned to the ropes binding his wrists. They weren't like anything he'd ever seen (which was saying something). The rope didn't appear to have a beginning or end. And it… merged with itself in the middle. Simply put: a pair of handcuffs with no way to get them off.

_Oh boy…_

He walked back to the door but couldn't see anyone out in the hall. He tried yelling. And that's when he realized… No sound came out, no matter how he tried. Really not good!

Daniel leaned against the wall and then finally sat down. There was nothing for him to do but wait. And hope the others could find him.

* * *

_**Mariott Hotel, London**_ "Truth serum? You're joking," said Jack. 

"Sir, truth serums such as ethanol and sodium pentothal have been shown to be highly unreliable. Studies have proven they only affect the nervous system like an alcoholic beverage and that one can still 'lie' while under their influence," said Carter.

"Somehow that doesn't comfort me, when I know Daniel gets loopy after one beer, Carter."

"I'm not talking about sodium pentothal. This is a very powerful drug called Veritaserum. It only takes three drops and supposedly no one has ever beaten it," said Potter.

"Okay, that's not good," Jack said wondering if they could totally trust this kid. "Do you know where they would have taken him?"

"Suspicions. I need to look at a couple of things first. Then I'll have a better idea."

"What?!" Jack shouted, "Why didn't you do that in the first place?"

Harry just grinned cheekily, "Well, you didn't give me much of a chance, now did you?" He reached into his coat-pocket and pulled out a map of London. "Now please don't go all ballistic about this, but I think it could help."

He lay the map out on the table. The others crowded around.

"What's this?" Carter asked before she realized it was pretty obvious. Four dots were blinking up at them from the map. Three were together at a spot just north of Regent's Park: the Mariott Hotel and one was off by itself down near the heart of the city.

"You've been following us!" she said.

"I have NOT been following you," Harry sighed. "Why does everyone say that?! I was just… keeping an eye on you and nudging them away."

"What do you mean by 'nudging'?" asked Jack.

"Uh… This is the third time those Aurors have tried to take you. I diverted them before this. That's probably why they went overboard in the lobby. Anyways," he pointed at the lone dot, "That's Dr. Jackson. Looks like he is at the Ministry building."

"Okay… but you said 'a couple of things'. What else have you got?" asked Jack.

Potter tapped his finger on the back of his watchband and a small, black rectangular box separated from it. He set it on the table. Potter muttered something too quietly for them to make out and casually waved his open hand over the tiny item. To the other's amazement, it expanded to reveal a compact laptop. Potter flipped it open and typed in a code. The screen changed to text. He read for a bit. Then turned the screen toward them and gestured for them to take a look. Carter immediately hunched over it and scanned what looked like a dialog, which updated every few seconds.

"Potter! Uh… Harry. Is this what I think it is?" Sam interrupted excitedly.

"If you mean is it what Scrimgeour's saying right now, then yes," replied Harry.

"So- what's this," asked Jack.

"Sir, this is amazing. A portable and fully operational computer that can shrink down to fit on a watchband. Would it be possible to get some for the SGC?" she asked.

"Carter- What's on the screen!" O'Neill said annoyed.

"Oh- It's the man's private conversations, somehow being recorded and downloaded to this computer. Harry here must have bugged Scrimgeour's office or something."

"More like 'bugged' him. He takes it wherever he goes," Harry said looking slightly smug.

"Do I want to know how you managed that?" asked Jack.

"Probably not," Harry's eyes twinkled. "_Keep your enemies close _and all that rot! Anyways, let me check some keywords." He pulled the computer back to him and typed in 'Harry Potter'. "Nothing. How about Americans? Nope. Let's try Aaron Greene. There we go. Uh-oh…" The screen scrolled quickly down to the most recent and ongoing conversation. Greene had just reported in.

"Well, the good news is that Scrimgeour can't interrogate Daniel immediately. So we've got some time to plan and get over there."

"Anyone got any ideas?" asked Jack.

"Harry Potter, you know more about these people than we do, what do you suggest?" Teal'c said.

"Well, there's too many people to just walk right into the Ministry in broad daylight. We'd need to be disguised." A Marauder's gleam lit up Potter's face, "Have you ever seen Star Wars?"

* * *

_**Ministry of Magic, Scrimgeour's Office**_

"It's about time you got back here Greene. Do you realize what a bubble-broth was caused because you three didn't bother to report in to your supervisor yesterday?" Minister Scrimgeour ranted. "Don't you understand that sort of thing could draw an investigation or much closer scrutiny than we need! And I do not want Archibald Croaker harassing me about where I'm sending his Aurors. From now on, you will abide by the rules and avoid drawing further attention to your activities. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir," said Greene sullenly.

"Good! Now did you get those Muggles we needed to question? It certainly took you long enough."

There was an awkward pause. Greene swallowed and avoided the Minister's gaze. "Um… We had a bit of trouble sir," he started before rushing on, "But we did bring in one of them."

"Only one out of four? What's the matter with you and your men?" demanded Scrimgeour. "They're only Muggles! It's not like they could have any chance against wizards!"

Reflecting back on the fight at the hotel, Greene thought maybe the Minister was wrong about that. However, not wanting another lecture, he threw out the one name that was sure to divert attention away from him.

"Potter was there, sir."

"What?!" shouted the Minister and then calmed down. "Excellent! Sooo… you nabbed Potter and let the others go, correct? Capital, Capital."

"Uh… no sir. The rest escaped," he said, "Including Potter."

"And just how… did that come about, Greene?"

"Well, me and the boys were set up to ambush them in their hotel lobby. We made sure to put up a dampening field and some Notice-Me-Not charms. So that the Muggles wouldn't see us and the Ministry sensors couldn't pick up any magic in such a highly Muggle area.

Then, when Potter and the Americans came in, we surrounded them and told them that you wished to speak with them."

"Greene, how did you 'surround' five people with three?"

"Uh… well. I brought along some help."

"What kind of 'help'?"

"Just some boys who hang out round The Rat's Nest. They're always ready for a brawl."

The Minister rubbed his forehead where he could feel a migraine coming. "And then?"

"I'm afraid they resisted. Grevins and I took on Potter while the others went for the Americans. There was a bit of a brawl. Things weren't going so well and then the Muggle Please-men started showing up. So we grabbed the nearest American and Apparated here."

"You mean to tell me…" Scrimgeour ground out, "That you had a magical duel in front of multiple Muggle witnesses under a dampening field so that the regular Obliviator squads haven't realized what was going on?! And then you left the scene without arranging for clean up! And just what happened to your Bully Boys? Did they get out as well?"

"I'm afraid I'm not sure, sir," said Greene.

"YOU IDIOTS! If you've exposed the Wizarding World, I'll hand you over to the Dementors myself!" The Minister was breathing heavily and pacing by this time. "Now- what hotel was it? I'll need to send some of my people over there to clean this up before it gets any worse. Merlin help us if the press got ahold of this."

"The Mariott near Regent's Park, sir."

"Right," he called out the door to his secretary. "Marilyn! Send for Sigmond's Obliviator Squad and tell them it's an emergency."

Scrimgeour ducked back inside his office and shut the door. "And what about the prisoner?"

"I had Grevins and Jacobson put him in your private interrogation room, sir."

"Fine. I'll have to deal with him later. In the meantime, go get some Veritaserum from Storage without Thelma Wilkins finding out. I don't want to waste any more time with the Muggle than we have to. Keep an eye on him until I get back."

"Oh- and Greene?" Scrimgeour said quietly.

"Yes sir?"

"Don't think we're finished with this. I'll expect a full report as soon as I get back from cleaning up your possible Security nightmare. And it had better be good!" The Minister left, slamming the door on the way out.

* * *

_**Mariott Hotel**_

"Star Wars? Yeah, I believe Teal'c's watched it a few times. Why?" asked O'Neill.

"Because I think we need a couple of Stormtroopers and prisoners," answered Harry.

SG1 exchanged glances.

"Ah… Potter. You do know that didn't work out... right?" said Jack gently.

"Yeah, but I've got a plan to get out, so it should be fine."

There went those shared glances again. Harry sadly wished that Ron or Hermione were around to do that with him.

"Riight," sighed Jack. "Okay, how's this plan of yours going to work?"

"Uh… We're going to need disguises, Auror's cloaks and… Just a minute. Could you back up a bit?" They looked confused but complied.

Harry knelt down and reached into his front pocket. He pulled out a leather box with straps.

"What's that?" asked Sam.

"Emergency Kit."

Harry set it on the floor and touched the side. The box expanded into a small but sturdy-looking steamer trunk. Harry started rummaging through the contents. Before they could get close enough to see what he was doing, Harry quickly transfigured one pair of his extra socks into a couple of Auror's cloaks for Colonel O'Neill and Mr. Murray. On second thought, he added an engorgement charm. The second pair transfigured into a dull blue cloak for Major Carter and a hat for O'Neill. All Aurors seemed to wear hats so Teal'c's bowler would fit right in.

_I guess Dumbledore was right,_ he thought. _One can never have enough socks._

SG1 had stepped back when he'd asked. They were now eyeing the growing pile by the trunk as they came back around the sides.

"You keep disguises like these in your emergency kit?" asked Jack.

"Not always," said Harry absently, "But it pays to be prepared."

He added his own green cloak, a couple of fake wands, some hair gel, a black marker and his box of safety pins. "There, all set," and he flipped the trunk closed.

Harry passed the cloaks out to their new owners. "Here, you'll have to try them for size. Hopefully, they'll fit you."

Teal'c swung the cloak around himself as though he'd been doing it all his life. The burgundy color actually looked quite nice on him and made him seem larger and more imposing than before.

O'Neill, on the other hand, looked very uncomfortable, as if he'd donned a snake skin and couldn't wait to take it off. But that was nothing compared to his expression when he looked at the hat. He picked it up with the tips of two fingers as though it would bite him.

"Tell me you're joking," he pleaded.

Harry laughed at his expression. "Sorry Colonel, but every Auror I've ever seen has worn some kind of hat. You'll stand out of you don't."

O'Neill made a face but put it on. The hat was a simple burgundy beret with an Auror's patch showing two crossed wands. It certainly didn't look bad but Major Carter stifled a giggle at his disgruntled look.

"Watch it, Carter," O'Neill snapped. Teal'c also looked amused but as usual he didn't say anything.

"What about me?" asked Sam and she spun in a circle making her cloak flair.

Harry smiled, "You look just fine, Major Carter." Actually, she looked quite modern for a witch but nothing too out of the ordinary.

"As for myself, I'd better visit the WC." Harry grabbed the rest of the pile including his safety pins and went into the loo.

When he emerged his hair was slicked back a la Draco Malfoy and he had a small pencil thin mustache. Harry wasn't totally satisfied with his disguise, but he couldn't just waltz into the Ministry as himself. Maybe it was the bad associations but he hated the way his hair looked. He couldn't wait to get back to normal. O'Neill started to laugh at him which didn't make him feel any better. Sticking his tongue out did.

The safety pins had the _Portus_ spell put on them so that was done. He just had to hand them out. Harry hoped he wouldn't regret their destination but with any luck, they wouldn't be needed anyway.

"Alright, pin these on your shirt, somewhere you can reach easily." Harry demonstrated and stuck his near his waistband on the right-hand side.

"Just what are these?" asked Jack.

"Plan B," said Harry.

"A safety pin?"

"I added something to them. If things go sour, simply press your finger to it and say 'Activate'. It will take you out of there. Oh- just make sure one of us is holding onto Dr. Jackson if we have to get out this way, alright?"

"Well, at least you have a Plan B," said O'Neill still staring at his pin before sighing and putting it on.

"You guys should pack," Harry said. "It won't be safe for you to come back here. I don't suppose you brought any weapons besides guns, did you?"

* * *

_**Jack's Room**_

After listening to Potter's plan, Jack had to admit it wasn't half bad. They'd certainly gone into more dangerous situations with worse plans. These people supposedly didn't want to kill them. Although, when he'd asked what would happen to them if captured Potter had made a face and said 'You don't want to know'. Not a good sign.

The kid had drawn them a map with the basic layout of the Auror Detainment Area, which was on Level 2 of this Ministry place. So… all they had to do was go in, extract Daniel and leave without getting caught. Piece of Cake.

That was where this 'plan' fell apart, the leaving without getting caught. Jack frowned. Well, except for his 'Plan B'. He stared down at the safety pin. He honestly wasn't sure what to make of that. _Just hope for the best or shoot their way out, I guess._

They'd hedged like troopers, when Potter had asked about their weapons. But the truth of the matter was that they'd all brought Zat's along in their luggage. He and Carter also had authorization for their sidearms. Jack was rather uncomfortable with showing the Zat's to Potter without permission but he'd be damned if he'd go on this little side-trip unarmed.

That was partly why he hadn't reported this to the General. Better to get Daniel back first. If there was any heat over the way they did it, he'd take the flack for it later.

Carter knocked on his door and asked to speak with him, just as he finished packing his shaving kit and zipped his bag.

"Yeah, come on in, Carter, Jack said.

She entered the room a bit hesitantly and closed the door.

"Well, what is it?"

"Do you think we can trust him?" asked Carter.

"Do you NOT trust him?"

"Well… The more I see of him, the more I think we could though. He obviously knows a lot more than he's saying. Did you see the look on his face when we avoided the weapons question? He knows we have something."

"Yeah, I saw," said Jack.

"And some of the things he's shown us… Who knows what else he's gotten access to… The technology to shrink and expand the computer and storage trunk alone would be worth it's weight in gold… " she trailed off.

"Yeah, not exactly a comforting thought, is it? 'Specially with people like the Trust runnin' around."

"Exactly," Carter said. "Are we going to use the Zat's in front of Potter without authorization?"

"The General trusts our judgment." Jack was silent for a moment, "But I don't see any alternative against these 'wands'. Killing people here could cause some sort of international incident. Britain is our Ally, ya know."

"I know."

"I think the question isn't so much 'Can we trust Potter? But 'Can we afford not to?' Even with that map, I don't think we could find Daniel on our own. You'll notice he didn't write down an address on there."

"So… he trusts us, but only so far?"

"The same could be said of us, Carter." Jack grabbed his stuff and headed for the door. "One step at a time, one step at a time."

* * *

_**Scrimgeour's Interrogation Cell**_

Daniel awoke with a start when two men entered his cell. He blinked blurrily at them as they crossed the room. It was two of the guys from the hotel. The one with the blue bowtie and the shaggy-haired one Sam had taken out. They grabbed his arms and roughly pulled him to his feet. Daniel staggered a bit at the pins and needles sensation coursing through his legs. So much for dozing off on a stone floor.

The men turned him towards the doorway just as a third man, Greene, came in dragging a wooden chair. It looked like the one that had been sitting across the hall. He set it down in the room facing the door. Guessing it was for him, Daniel didn't resist as they pushed him over and down onto it.

Greene paced back and forth in front of him. The two goons stood behind the chair. This didn't look good. He eyed the man warily.

"Well, Muggle. You are going to tell us what you know about Harry Potter. Minister Scrimgeour has a few important matters to take care of before he can come down here to question you himself. Until that time, he asked me and my associates here to find out how cooperative you're going to be," he said.

"Now," Greene continued. "There's two ways to do this. I'll ask questions, you give me answers. That's the easy way. Of course, we can always do this the hard way if you prefer?"

Daniel opened his mouth but remembered, he still wasn't making any sounds.

"Well?" demanded Greene. "Answer me!"

Daniel tried to point at his mouth, but with his hands tied, they didn't understand. Greene slapped his hands down and cursed.

"Damnit, why do they always pick the hard way? Grevins! Hit him once please."

Since they were behind him, Daniel didn't see what they did, but it felt like jolts of electricity coursed through his body. He yelled but no sound came out. When it finally stopped, a million centuries later, his limbs were twitching and he nearly fell off the chair. One of the goons grabbed him and set him back upright.

"Okay, let's try this again," Greene said. "What do you know about Harry Potter's plans to overthrow the Ministry? Are there Americans planning to help him?"

Daniel could only grit his teeth as more shocks were applied and then heavy blows. The same questions kept coming over and over again. "Who are you?" "Why are you here?" "Where is Harry Potter?" "What are his plans?"

Daniel could have told them it was all for nothing, he'd just met the man today and somehow couldn't picture him plotting to overthrow anything. But Daniel couldn't say a word.

* * *

_**Downtown London**_

Our heroes were sitting in their rental, staring at the rundown shops around them. Some were empty with GOING OUT OF BUSINESS signs in the broken windows. The few still open were a couple of adult book stores and several bars. Business was just getting rolling as dusk crept over the city.

"Are you sure this is the right place, Potter?" hissed Jack. It's not exactly the best part of town."

"Oh yeah," said Harry. "This is it."

Major Carter looked a bit nervous.

"Don't worry Major, the Ministry's underground." He pointed, "The Auror's entrance is just over there. Is everyone clear on what to do once we're inside?"

There was a chorus of yeses.

"Oh- Mr. Murray, you'll have to do the talking if we're questioned. The Colonel's American as soon as he opens his mouth," said Harry.

O'Neill sputtered and Carter snickered.

"Very well, Harry Potter. And I believe you should call me Teal'c since we are going into battle together," Teal'c smiled.

"Alright Teal'c," Harry smiled back. "How'd you learn to speak proper English around Americans anyway?"

Totally ignoring O'Neill's, "Hey!" Teal'c said, "Daniel Jackson assisted me greatly, but it was difficult at first. I still struggle at times."

"Yeah, I found learning new languages hard at first also but it got easier after a while."

"Yo. Shouldn't we be going?" Jack butted in.

Harry rolled his eyes, "Yes Watson. Grab your cloaks. Our game is afoot."


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Tada! Another chapter finished. I orginally hadn't planned on spending so much time in England but now I think I'll have to resolve this little Ministry problem before he goes. Doesn't seem like Harry would run off and just leave his friends with this mess to clean up.

_**Chapter 9: We're Off to See the Wizards**_

* * *

_**The Ministry**_

Potter led them, to of all places, a Bus Shelter. It had suitable graffiti markings in white spray paint on the side and old weather-worn newspapers cluttering up the floor. A hand-lettered sign was posted on the outside that said, **NO LONGER IN SERVICE. **

"If this is some sort of joke, Potter…" Jack growled.

"This is the entrance Colonel," the kid replied. Then he smiled, "Not all hidden places are guarded by tanks and artillery." Potter pointed at a list of nine former bus routes that apparently used to frequent this stop. "I just have to hit the right numbers on this list and the lift will take us down. Before I do that, do we have everything?"

"Yes."

"Indeed."

"Yeah, although I still don't see why I need this stupid peashooter," complained Jack.

"It's just for show," said Potter. "If worse comes to worse, you can always throw it at somebody. They wouldn't expect that."

"Right."

Potter smirked, "Just don't wave it anybody…"

"Why not?"

"Well, you never know, it could turn into a rubber chicken or something."

"BOYS!" said Major Carter. "Can we get on with this?"

"Of course. Here we go, then." Potter reached over to the Bus Schedule and tapped out 6-4-2-2-4.

There was an odd pinging sound; then a disembodied voice said, "Welcome to the Ministry, Auror's Entrance. Please state your names and business."

"Um… Aurors Shacklebolt and O'Malley with two civilians for questioning. Level 2, please," said Potter.

"One moment," answered the voice.

A whirling sound came from under their feet and then the floor of the shelter began to sink.

"Hang on," Potter said as they sank below street level and into total darkness. Lights soon appeared near their feet and traveled up to their faces and the voice called off the various floors.

When the elevator stopped on Level 2, the voice added, "Please make sure to check in at the Administrative Desk to your left. Have a nice day."

Jack had his own smirk as he prodded Potter off the elevator with his peashooter.

To their left was a large counter with a work area behind it. Seated there was a very formidable-looking woman. The name-plate read Vara Komodo in gold letters.

It was the oddest Administrative Center Jack had ever seen. For one thing there was no computer or telephone, at least as far as he could see.

Along the far wall, at about chest height were four small fireplaces with fires merrily burning away. Every once in a while the flames would flare a green color before fading back to orange.

They came close enough to see what the woman was doing. Large tubes, they looked like giant vacuum cleaner hoses, came down from the ceiling on either side of her. The one on her right had small paper airplanes zooming out of it into a large bin. She picked one out, unfolded and read it, then stamped and threw it into a basket. The note almost refolded itself and was then sucked up one of the left hand tubes.

The next one she stamped red and then nearly took Potter's head off as she suddenly turned and threw it towards the hall behind them.

Jack also ducked out of the way and watched as it sailed off. Oddly, it kept going and was soon out of sight.

The woman stood and glared at them. "What do you mean by standing there? Can't you read?"

Sure enough, there was a sign at the other end of the counter saying, **PLEASE SIGN IN HERE**.

"We are sorry, Madam Komodo," said Teal'c. "We are new here and were not… warned."

"New, eh?" she stared at them, but softened a bit when Teal'c inclined his head. "Well, it's simple enough. Just sign in over there." She pointed at a large red book which lay open on the counter near the other end. "The date. Your Names and Assignment. Prisoners or detainees brought back…" She eyed Potter in particular. "That sort of thing."

Jack walked over and signed them in as O'Malley and Shacklebolt with two prisoners.

"Thank you Madam," said Teal'c. "You've been most helpful."

"Hmph, nice to have someone polite through here for a change, Auror… Shacklebolt? Any relation to Kingsley Shacklebolt?"

"Ah… distant," Teal'c replied. "We'd best get these two along now."

"Quite right. Maybe another time."

"Perhaps."

They moved down the hallway with the two 'prisoners' in front. Jack was grinning.

"Aren't you just a smooth talker, T?"

"I have no idea to what you are referring, O'Neill."

"Sure ya don't," said Jack.

"I was merely being polite. Perhaps you should try it sometime."

Carter and Potter both snickered.

Jack poked them with his stick. "Hey! Quiet down, you two."

* * *

_**Auror Headquarters**_

Neville followed Colin as he practically skipped down the aisle to the Noticeboard near the entrance. While he still thought Colin's camera was unnecessary weight to carry into dangerous situations, never again would he say it didn't have its uses.

Colin used a sticking charm to put up a sign announcing **THE CANINE AURORS **and the six pictures. He was grinning from ear to ear. Neville had to admit; sometimes a picture _is_ worth a thousand words.

The story had quickly made the rounds through the department amidst a lot of laughter. Greene and his goons weren't very popular. Neville only hoped he was around when someone finally said something in front of them. It should be good for another laugh.

The pictures weren't going to slow the story down anytime soon. Greene would probably incinerate them on sight. Good thing Colin made a lot of copies. One in particular was quite priceless. It had been taken by Miss Kent at the animal shelter. It showed Neville and Colin with their new 'babies'. The Poodle was on Colin's lap enjoying a good ear scratch and the Sheepdog leaned up against Neville's legs. What made the shot was the Pomeranian sitting two chairs down. It had its back to them and was clearly sulking. Every once in a while, it would glance over at the others and then sniff and turn away again.

Holding back a snicker himself, Neville glanced around Auror Headquarters. The rows of cubicals that everyone complained were too small, lined the large room. He'd often wondered why the Aurors hadn't changed things around if they hated it so much. Five years ago after the Massacre would have been the perfect opportunity. The place had been virtually destroyed after the Death Eaters had marched through. However, wizards didn't like change. They seemed to think that the way things were done in the past was the way it should be done in the forever. Even if that method was inconvenient or just plain wrong. He sighed.

The place was clearing out for the evening as the day people left and the night shift trickled in. A lone memo came streaking down the hall from Administration, followed by a couple of Aurors and two civilians. _They must be brought in for questioning_, he thought, _since they weren't bound._

Neville turned back toward Colin and the Noticeboard as the Aurors headed for the Detainment Area. Just as they passed, something made him turn and take a second look at the male prisoner. Something about him looked… familiar. _Certainly wasn't the hair, _he thought.

They reached the double doors and the Aurors held them open for the two civilians. The man glanced back towards Neville and the familiar green eyes hit him just as the doors closed.

He stood there in shock.

"Bloody Hell!" Neville whispered. "Come on, Colin. We have a problem."

* * *

_**Detainment Area**_

Harry decided it definitely was a good thing that he was usually in the lead as a prisoner. It gave him the chance to cast freezing charms on the moving pictures and a few Muggle repelling charms on the more blatant magical areas, such as Vara Komodo's desk. That had been hard to hold.

The floos had kept up a rapid string of calls the whole time. He'd never realized how many trivial things Aurors were called out to fix. One lady had been going on and on about a boggart in her sewing chest. She claimed she'd never get her friend's birthday gift done if an Auror wasn't sent out immediately to take care of the problem.

Harry snorted. No wonder he'd had to take care of Voldemort by himself. All the Aurors had probably off been dealing with more important things, like rescuing pet kneazles from trees.

'Plan A' seemed to be moving along all right. They'd made it past Administration and through the Auror HQ office area. He'd thought the jig was up when they'd walked right past Colin and Neville. If anybody would recognize him, it'd be those two. He just kept his eyes on the floor and hoped for the best.

It seemed to work and he gave a sigh of relief when the door closed behind them.

It really wouldn't do to get them involved with this. It was bad enough that the Americans were. Neville and Colin could lose their jobs. Knowing Scrimgeour's attitude they could lose a lot more than that.

The team turned the corner and entered the Detainment Area. There was a sleepy-looking clerk at the check-in desk with what looked like a ton of paperwork piled around him. He perked up a bit at the sight of them.

"Someone fer the lock-up sirs?" he asked.

"Indeed," said Teal'c. "We will be- " he broke off as a voice called down the corridor.

"Is that him? That rotten, backstabbing, no-good excuse for an Englishman named Harold James? 'Bout time he was brought in!" When Harry turned around, an angry-looking Neville Longbottom was standing behind them with along with Colin Creevey who looked very confused.

"Sorry to interrupt but I need to question this bloke before you lock him up. I'm so glad someone finally caught that miscreant. Congratulations Auror… Sorry but I don't know your name sir."

Everyone stared at Neville. Harry himself had never heard him say so much at one time, let alone so much utter garbage.

Teal'c exchanged glances with O'Neill and said, "I am Shacklebolt and this is O'Malley. Have you met this man before?"

"Oh, I've been after him for some time now. He _needs_ a good telling off. There's a private conference room this way, if you'll follow me?"

Seeing little choice, Harry and SG1 followed Neville to one of the rooms back along the corridor. Harry noticed O'Neill had his hand inside his cloak, probably on a weapon. He hoped that wouldn't be necessary. Clearly Neville knew who he was, but Harry never expected this sort of response.

They all entered the room after Neville who paced up and down a few times. Colin came in behind them and shut the door. Then he leaned against it. Neville stopped and seemed to gather himself.

"You Lunatic! Harry, what are you doing here? After I specifically told Remus to- " he burst out.

"Neville- Nev, calm down," said Harry. "I haven't spoken to Remus since yesterday, why?"

"Because the rumors have Scrimgeour getting more and more paranoid about you. You Blasted Maniac! And after that stunt you pulled yesterday on Greene, _he'll _be out for your blood too!"

"Nev, we're here about something more serious than the bad press and petty harassment. Stop being so melodramatic," said Harry.

"Melodramatic- " sputtered Neville.

"He's just concerned, Harry," said Colin from the doorway. "Scrimgeour likely wouldn't mind an excuse to lock you up and throw away the key."

"But that's crazy!" protested Harry. "I've been gone for six years. Half of the time I'm not even in the country!"

"I never said he wasn't cracked as well as paranoid," Neville said. "However, it _is_ a damn good reason for you to stay out of his way. Now, _why_ are you waltzing around the Ministry?"

"Oh… yeah," Harry said absently, still thinking about what they'd said.

"Harry Potter is helping us to retrieve our friend, Daniel Jackson," said Teal'c.

"Yeah- It seems this Minister of your ordered his flunkies to grab us at our hotel tonight," put in O'Neill.

"What? Why?" asked Neville.

"They've been asking questions about me, Nev," Harry said quietly.

"Oh boy! That'd do it for Scrimgeour, "Colin moaned, coming over to the others.

"Yeah, it would," sighed Neville. He looked up, "And so you're here to break him out." Neville shook his head. "Never mind the legalities, why did you bring Mugg- them into the Ministry? What if they see… something or you get into a fight?"

"I think they might surprise you Nev. As for a fight, I believe they can hold their ground," said Harry.

"Only you, Harry…" said Neville. "Okay, first we need to know if he's in the Detainment Cells. Colin! Run back down there. Tell Greggory you need to talk to Arnold Snitchmoore in Cell 5. While you're there, look for this Daniel Jackson. What's he look like?"

"Brown hair, blue eyes, glasses," listed Harry.

"He was wearing a white shirt, jeans and a tan sportscoat," said O'Neill.

"Alright," said Neville. "Colin, get going and keep an eye out for Greene. They may be questioning him."

"Righto!" piped Colin. "Be back in a Mo'."

"He's as cheerful as ever, Nev," Harry said. He sat down at the table. The others followed suite, except for Teal'c who went to stand by the door.

Yeah, although there are times I want to hex him for it." He turned to SG1. "I believe some introductions are in order. I'm Neville Longbottom and my partner's name is Colin Creevey. We went to school with Harry."

"Hello Neville, pleased to meet you. I'm Samantha Carter and this is Jack O'Neill and Teal'c Murray over there by the door."

Neville nodded at each of them. "Pleasure. Sorry it isn't under better circumstances."

"Neville, if Dr. Jackson isn't in the Main Detainment Area, where else could he be? I had a tracker on him and my map says he is here at the Ministry somewhere."

"Good question," said Neville. He considered for a bit and frowned. "I believe there are two cells behind the Minister's office. He's probably there. Especially since grabbing your American friends wouldn't be something Scrimgeour'd want getting out. What hotel was this?"

The Mariott, near Regent's Park." Harry broke off as Colin came back.

"Nope, there's no one that matches that description down there. Just a couple of drunks, Snitchmoore and what's left of that nut that tried to rob Gringott's."

"Sooo… how do we get into this Scrimgeour's office?" asked O'Neill.

"That's not going to be easy. And just how do you plan on getting out again?" Colin asked back.

"Plan A just crashed," said Harry. "Plan B was portpins." He showed the pin attached to his shirt.

"Portkeys won't work inside the cell blocks," said Neville. "You'd have to take Dr. Jackson down the hall into the offices, then go."

"Oh- I just love a challenge," Harry said sarcastically. "What's the layout of his office and could you draw us a map? And how many people would be in the outer office?"

"That's one thing you'll have going for you. There's not too many people around this time of day. Let's see… His secretary, an aide or two, a couple of guards in the hall, Greene and his merry morons, Scrimgeour and possibly an assistant."

"Hmm… we're not going to get by all those people quietly. What we need is a distraction. Then if they call for backup, the Aurors will be busy with their own problems." Harry smiled.

"Harry…" warned Neville. "The last time I saw you smile like that, you'd helped the twins get all the suits of armor in the school to insult Umbridge whenever she walked by. What are you planning?"

Harry pulled out a brown bag with WWW printed on the side. He enlarged it to full size and began setting out colorful packages. They had names like Sun Bangers, Camouflage Clouds, Quacker Attacks, Pig Problems, Flea Fests, and Portable Swamps.

"The Smothering Smoke and Acid Pops might be fatal. We probably don't want to use them." Harry extracted two bags from the pile and put them back into the brown bag. "Oh- And this one should be used on friends." He showed them a purple bag with a man snoring a long string of Zzzzzz's. Sound Sleepers- To Make Sure They Don't Wake Up (guaranteed for 20 minutes).

"The Ministry will still be standing after this, right?" moaned Neville.

"Of course," said Harry. "Look, give us 15 minutes to get in there and then start. Maybe a couple of the old DA members will help you. Start in Auror HQ and then move toward Level 1. If you get caught just tell them Fred and George are interested in selling these products to the Aurors and they thought they could use a practical demonstration of how effective they can be." Harry picked out several of each kind of bomb for himself. "Alright?"

"Alright. 15 minutes." Said Neville.

* * *

_**The Cell**_

The shock of cold water being dumped over his head had Daniel jerking upright and gasping for breath.

_Drat! It hadn't been a really horrible dream, had it? Nope. Same stone room. Same goons._

His hair was grabbed in a painful grip and someone jerked his head up.

Standing in front of him, looking dreadfully out of place in the plain stone cell, was a tall, elegantly-dressed man with a gold topped cane and a lion's mane of graying hair. His bushy eyebrows were narrowed as he gazed down at a silver pocket-watch, before he closed it with a snap. A pair of shrewd brown eyes lifted to assess Daniel.

_This must be 'the Boss' they keep going on about, _Daniel thought groggily.

"Mr… Jackson, is it? Tut, tut, tut aren't you a mess. Auror Greene tells me you've been most uncooperative. That you refuse to say a word… Is this true?"

Daniel felt a trickle of despair. There was nothing he could say- even he wanted to.

"Answer me!" commanded Scrimgeour. A vicious blow nearly knocked Daniel out of the chair again, after the Minister casually backhanded him across the mouth.

_Oww._

A puzzled frown crossed Scrimgeour's face. He tapped his lion headed cane idly on the floor, considering.

"Not a word?" he asked, "Or not a sound, Greene?"

"Not anything sir. I've not seen anything like it. Usually they cry and beg or at least moan and groan a bit."

"This one hasn't?"

"Not a peep sir."

"Are you sure he wasn't hit with any spells before you brought him here?" asked the Minister.

"No sir," said Greene positively. "Grevins just knocked him out with a stunner. And I… Oh Bloody Hell."

"Yes?"

There was a mumble from Greene.

"What was that?" the Minister said in a silky voice, "I didn't quite catch that."

"He- he wouldn't shut up earlier and I… I hit him with _Silencio._

There was a deadly pause.

"Do you mean to tell me that you've questioned this man for over an hour and you never thought about why he might not be answering! You've beaten him unconscious and possibly far past any usefulness he may have had. And you did that without considering the consequences? It's not like we have the rest of his companions in the cell next door if you break him, you idiot! I need that information."

"It was only a few hexes…" stuttered Greene.

"Those bruises aren't from hexes!" shouted Scrimgeour. "Now, enough wasting time! Go get me the Veritaserum."

Greene rushed out.

"And you two morons can go wait out in the hall. You'll probably have to dispose of him when we're through. Now, get out!"

The Minister sighed and rubbed his temples. It was so hard to get competent help these days.

"Oh- yes, Mr. Jackson. So sorry. Where were we? Hmm… _Finite Incantatum!"_

Daniel never thought he'd be so grateful to hear the sound of his own breathing, even if it was rather labored.

"There. That's much better, isn't it Mr. Jackson. Don't worry, soon it'll all be over."

A chill crept over Daniel at the way this man spoke in front of him. It was a creepy combination. A stern, commanding voice talking about the 'disposal' of his body as though he couldn't even hear him. And a gentle, almost fatherly voice that spoke like he would make it all better. Daniel got the distinct feeling the first was far closer to the truth.

Greene came back with a tiny bottle of clear liquid.

"Now that we've all arrived, let's get started. Greene, please get Mr. Jackson a drink to refresh himself and then we'll have a nice chat," the Minister said.

* * *

_**Minister Scrimgeour's Office**_

_Showtime! _Thought Jack as they approached the two guards on either side of the office doorway.

He and Teal'c prodded Carter and Potter forward. Longbottom had given them a couple of 'binders' for their wrists. They weren't locked and would pull apart as soon as the action started.

One guard stopped them, "What's this then? The Minister doesn't want to be disturbed any further tonight."

"However, we were told to bring these prisoners here for questioning as soon as they were caught," said Teal'c. "Perhaps you would care to explain to Minister Scrimgeour why they aren't here."

The guard stared at him for a moment. "Well alright," he finally said. "Go on in." He and the other guard opened the double oak doors and they entered a large luxurious room.

One half was divided into six cubicals with desks, although only two men were seated there. The other half was clearly a waiting room. The secretary's desk was placed between two doors. According to Longbottom's map the elaborately carved doors led into Scrimgeour's office. The smaller left-hand door led to a hallway, which went behind Scrimgeour's office and down to the cell area.

"How can I help you gentlemen? The Minister isn't available any more today… but I could schedule you in for tomorrow," the secretary gushed.

"I am afraid we were told to bring these two in as soon as possible. The Minister wished to question them personally." said Teal'c calmly.

Her smile became a little strained. "Well, I'm afraid I wasn't notified about it. You'll have to bring them back tomorrow. He's very busy right now."

"We were told to bring them here immediately," Teal'c said in an implacable voice. "So we will not be leaving unless he himself changes that."

"B-But you can't stay here in the Waiting Room with prisoners!" she stuttered.

"Is there a problem here?" asked the freckle-faced young man as he emerged from the cubicals.

"They say the Minister ordered them here and refuse to leave!" the secretary said.

"That may be, but the Office is closed for the day. The Minister had only one more thing to take care of and then he was leaving. You'll have to bring them back tomorrow morning… " he broke off as what sounded like an explosion rumbled through the building. "What was that- ?"

Taking their chance, Teal'c grabbed the young man's arm while Jack made for the guy still sitting at his desk. Teal'c's man let out a squawk just as one and then two solid blows laid him out cold on the floor. The secretary screamed. The man at his desk looked up in surprise to see Jack closing in fast. He fumbled with his wand but only got off a single blast before Jack's right hand forced it up and his left hook connected with his chin. The man fell backwards over his chair and landed in a heap in the corner. Jack shook his stinging hand and snapped the wand over his knee.

Meanwhile, the secretary was still screaming at the top of her lungs. Harry got his binders off before Carter. He threw a stunner at the woman and sighed with relief as it cut off the irritating high-pitched sound.

The screaming brought the two guards crashing into the room with their wands out. They fired at Teal'c and Potter who dodged behind the secretary's desk.

Teal'c merely stepped out of the way. He and Carter drew their Zat'nik'tels and nailed the two guards. They stiffened in shock and fell to the floor unconscious.

"Wicked!" said Harry.

"Teal'c! Check the hall. Carter, left-hand door. Potter, you check the BigMan's office. See if we've got company coming," Jack barked.

They all sprang to obey. Teal'c cautiously peered out into the main hall. There was a lot of shouting in the distance but nobody seemed to be headed this way. He shook his head at O'Neill and moved the guard's bodies to close the outer doors.

Carter held her Zat' ready and opened the left-hand door. There was a long hallway with offices to the left. No one was in sight or came out of the rooms. "All clear, for the moment sir."

Potter peeked around one oak door and then opened both of them wide. Inside was a lavishly, ornate office. It was filled with carved antique furnishings, a large Turkish rug and works of art on every surface.

"Whoa!"

"Yeah, nice digs," said Jack coming up beside him.

"Wonder where he's getting the money for all this. The last Minister was an incompetent idiot, but at least he was an honest one. I know their salary doesn't come close to covering stuff like this! I should see what the goblins know about him," Potter mused.

"Goblins? What are you talking about?" asked Carter.

"Oh- Sorry. I mean bankers," Potter flushed and changed the subject. "How do we do this, Colonel? Everyone through the office or the hall or two through each?"

Jack gave him a penetrating stare but let it go. "Two and two, I think. Teal'c you're with Potter, through the office. Carter you're with me, down the hall."

Teal'c nodded. He and Potter went inside and shut the door.

Jack and Carter headed cautiously down the hall. Voices came from somewhere down the hall. They assumed covering positions at the doors to each office but they were all empty.

After the 4th office, the hallway turned and went behind Scrimgeour's office. The sound of voices grew louder and more distinct as they approached the turn.

Jack took a quick peek around the corner. About 25ft. down the corridor were two men. Grevins and Jacobson, the two flunkies from the hotel by the look of them. There wasn't any cover in the hallway, so they'd have to shoot from here. He signaled to Carter about the guards and she edged into a crouch at the corner while he took the standing position.

He could hear what was going on in the room now. He snorted quietly. A voice demanded to know who Daniel was and why he was here. Jack smiled to himself as Daniel's voice began to drone on and on in full lecture mode. Something about archeology and the path to true enlightenment. Frustration filled the other voice as it told him to shut up. Jack smirked. It was nice to know that Daniel could annoy bad guys almost as much as he could his friends with that crap.

Then he frowned, Daniel's voice sounded odd, sort of monotoned and expressionless. It was not like Daniel at all. His breathing sounded labored as well. Not good.

He chanced another quick look. Down past the guards, about 60ft. from their position, a door inched open and Teal'c's familiar brown eye peeked through the opening. Then Potter's green eye appeared lower down. He signaled about attacking together on the count of three but their luck had run out.

Jacobson happened to look up at that moment and spotted him. With a shout to Grevins, he drew his wand. He fired at Jack who took a quick shot with his Zat' before ducking back around the corner. The yelling brought a third man, Greene, out of the room. They all started shooting bursts of light at the corner. He and Carter traded shots but their cover was disintegrating as the wand blasts tore chunks out of the plaster.

Then Teal'c and Potter joined in. Potter threw something small and gray down the hall. It bounced to stop right under Greene and exploded. Bursts of an odd speckled powder shot out, covering the three men.

They stopped firing their wands and started hopping around. Greene actually threw down his peashooter and started itching himself wherever he could reach.

They all stared at the hopping, itching men in disbelief before Jack and Teal'c got sick of the yelling and Zat'd them.

SG1 stepped over the men and reached the doorway just as more wand blasts came flying out. They made a real mess of the opposite wall but didn't hit anyone.

The guy inside was yelling about incompetent idiots. But then he said something else that made Jack freeze.

"If you come one step closer, I'll kill this man. The Aurors will be coming soon and you'll be trapped. The only way out is to make a deal with me. I just want information."

Jack stole a quick look around the door-jam but it was enough to tell him that Daniel was in bad shape. "Riight… Out of the goodness of your heart, you'll just let us go. Besides, I think you're the one who's trapped."

"I'll have you know, I am the Minister of Magic and NO ONE dictates to me," Scrimgeour announced.

"Yeah well, I'm Ronald McDonald. If you drop by my place, I'll get you a happy meal with a squeaky toy," Jack drawled. "Now, drop your weapon or we will open fire."

"Why you- " the Minister started to snarl, when Potter whipped around the corner and shouted what sounded like _X-SPELL-US_! There was the sound of an impact and a moan.

Everyone peered around into the room. Daniel's chair had tipped over and he was lying on his side next to it. He had a vacant expression on his face and was still muttering something to himself. The 'Minister' was crumpled in a heap against the wall. A thin trickle of blood was coming from his mouth. His wand was all the way across the room near Daniel. Potter walked over and picked it up. He stared at it and then at its owner before snapping it in half and then tossing it to the floor.

Carter and Jack rolled Daniel over. He moaned and stopped muttering. Jack chanced a question. "Daniel, can you hear me?"

"Yes."

"How are you feeling?" This proved to be a mistake as it launched Daniel into a long list of what sounded like every ache, pain and bone in his body.

Potter reached down and gently tapped the binders on Daniel's wrists, which loosened. He pulled them off.

Daniel was still droning on, "…And my ribs on the left side, there's this sharp, stabbing pain when I breathe, though it's not so bad if I don't breathe…"

"Daniel-" said Jack.

"…And then there's my head, which aches something awful, pounding little hammers and it's somehow been stuffed with cotton-batting…"

"Daniel, _please_ be quiet."

"Okay." He said agreeably.

Jack sighed and stood. "Well, Scrimgeour was right about one thing… We need to get out of here. Who knows how long we have before somebody shows up. T, help me with Daniel. Carter you go ahead. Potter, you're rear-guard."

"Alright, we have to go down into the office before the pins will work," said Harry.

Jack and Teal'c lifted Daniel, who was now singing quietly. "Twinkle, twinkle little star… How I wonder where you are…" Carter started down the hall, then the other three, with Potter coming last. They didn't notice Scrimgeour's hand twitch and slowly reach for his boot.

The team had just reached the office doorway when a loud alarm went off and shouting was heard in the outer office. Carter raced across the room and locked the door. She grabbed a chair and set it under the doorknobs. Loud banging and Alohas could be heard through the door.

Potter looked back as he entered the office in time to see Scrimgeour stagger out of the cell with a wand. A blast of light flew by and he ducked, slamming the backdoor and locking it.

"Go!" he yelled. "Touch your pins and go!"

Still having a hard time believing this would work, Jack touched his pin and said, "Activate." A giant hook seemed to grab him by the middle. It yanked him down a swirling tunnel of color and light. It reminded him of StarGate travel actually.

* * *

Harry locked the door to the hallway and turned to find Sam Carter doing the same with the outer office. From the banging and the shouting, it wouldn't take them long to start blasting their way through. 

"GO!" he yelled at the Americans. "Use the pins!"

They shot him disbelieving looks but did as he asked. It seemed to take forever. In that peculiar fashion when your heart is racing and time seems to slow down.

They went whirling away just as the backdoor was blasted to pieces and Scrimgeour and two Aurors rushed in.

Harry threw down another Fred and George special and activated his own portkey pin.

The last thing he saw as he was yanked away was the two Aurors splashing about in the grand office. Scrimgeour was standing there hip-deep in swamp-water with a lily-pad and frog on his head. He was shaking his fist angrily. Harry waved back and was gone.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N:_ I'm back! This one took a while. Also, a couple of folks complained that the story was too slow paced but hopefully it will pick up now. Although, I'm afraid that this is just going to be a long one. So I guess they'll just have to settle in for the long haul.**  
**_

_**Chapter 10: There's No Place Like Home**_

* * *

_**New Godric's Hollow, North Wales**_

As the portkey whirled him away, Harry looked determinedly forward. _You can do this, _he told himself. _No one else has any trouble, just pay attention to what you're doing and everything will work out fine._

The motion began to slow and he tensed for the landing. Unfortunately, he was slammed down so hard that his legs went right out from under him. He landed ungracefully, flat on his back.

_Blast! Why couldn't he ever get it right?_

"Are you okay, Harry?" asked Major Carter.

"I'm fine ma'am. I just never seem to get the knack of landing with those things," he grumbled. "Is everyone else alright?"

Harry rolled to his knees and looked up. _Wouldn't you know, they were all standing there looking perfectly normal (and upright). Although, their hair did look as if they'd been out in a windstorm, well… except for Teal'c, of course._ Harry sighed.

Major Carter smiled down at him and gave him a hand up. "Please- don't call me ma'am. Just Sam or Carter is fine."

"Not Samantha?" he asked.

She wrinkled her nose, "I'd prefer it if you didn't."

Harry grinned, "You think you've got it bad. I've got a friend who's first name is Nymphadora. She won't even allow it to be said in the same room."

"That is worse-" Sam said only to be interrupted.

"Excuse me if I butt in on this pleasant little chat," drawled O'Neill sarcastically. " But Daniel's getting heavy. It would help if there was someplace to set him down, instead of wide open spaces. Did you make some sort of mistake Potter?"

Harry glanced around to see the familiar rolling hills that surrounded his home and the snow-covered peak of Snowdonia in the distance. "Oh- Opps! I forgot you wouldn't be able to see it."

"See what Harry?" asked Sam confused.

"My home, of course." Then he announced, "Harry Potter lives at New Godric's Hollow, North Wales."

"What home? Do you live under a rock or something?" snorted Jack.

"Or something. Turn around."

Their mouths fell open, even Teal'c's.

"Where'd that come from?" asked Jack.

"Did you have your home under a cloaking device, Harry Potter?" questioned Teal'c.

"Not exactly, Teal'c. It's sort of a secret."

"What's that?" asked Sam.

"How I hide my house," answered Harry.

We're here now and you just told us where it is. How can it be hidden any more?" demanded Jack.

"Can you keep a secret Colonel?" Harry asked.

"Of course."

"Well, so can I. Now, let's get Dr. Jackson some medical attention," with that Harry smirked and led them up the hill to his house.

* * *

Harry held the door open as Teal'c half led/half carried Jackson inside. O'Neill and Carter followed. 

"You can leave your cloaks here in the entrance hall." Harry smiled as O'Neill immediately threw the hated beret on the table.

The house separated in to two main sections. The kitchen/dining area with it's glass patio doors opening to the wide deck facing the mountains and the sunken living room with it's vaulted ceiling and 14ft wide centerpiece window wall looking out over the river valley. The far wall held a massive stone fireplace, big enough to stand up in. The whole place was open and airy with little obstructing the surrounding view. After all those years in the cupboard under the stairs, he'd never wanted to feel closed in again.

"Umm… Here. You can put him down here," Harry said and pointed at the comfortable looking sectional sofa in front of the fireplace.

They got Jackson onto the sofa. He still seemed dazed and was holding his left side.

"Daniel…" Sam said quietly. "Where do you hurt? You mentioned your ribs and your head. Anywhere else?"

He kept staring straight ahead but he did answer. "Ribs, chest… Hurts to breathe… Head's cloudy… Face- face hurts- he hit me."

"Did they do anything else, Daniel Jackson?" asked Teal'c.

"Made me drink… something."

Harry had begun to wonder if they'd overdosed him. He didn't remember Crouch, Jr. acting quite so out of it. Veritaserum could react differently because Jackson was a Muggle or maybe reactions just varied from person to person. He'd have to ask Remus or Tonks when he called about the Antidote.

"Dr. Jackson? Was it a clear, colorless liquid? Like water?" Harry asked, kneeling down next to him.

Jackson nodded. "Bitter."

"Do you know how much they gave you? Drops? A teaspoon?"

"He went behind me. Couldn't see what he did. Came back with a small cup. Held me down until I swallowed it."

"Anything else?"

"Questions. Lots of questions," said Jackson.

"What kind of questions?" asked Sam.

"Oh… Harry Potter mostly… Where he was. What he was doing. Whether he was taking over the Ministry…" For the first time, Jackson focused enough to look straight at Harry. "Are you taking over the Ministry?"

Harry smiled and shook his head. "Nah- You couldn't pay me enough to even work there."

"Did you tell them anything Daniel?" asked O'Neill.

"Couldn't stop myself. It just came pouring out. But I mostly didn't know what they were talking about. So mostly said, I don't know. They weren't happy about it. Is okay though…"

"What's okay, Daniel?" Jack asked.

"They didn't ask about the Stargate. Or about the Asgard's ship crashing. Or the Gou'alds trying to take over the planet. Or-"

O'Neill hastily broke in, "That's good, Daniel." Everyone's eyes were jumping back and forth between Jackson and Harry.

"Yeah- Good," continued Jackson. "He did ask about why we were here and I said something about Oma and how she could help us find enlightenment. I don't think he believed me though."

"That's all right then, Daniel," O'Neill said in pained voice. "We'll take care of it."

_Obviously not the way they'd intended to tell me, _Harry thought. _If they would have told me anything at all…_

Harry patted Daniel's knee, "Don't worry about it, Dr. Jackson. We'll get you fixed up and feeling better. Everything will work itself out."

Daniel let out a sigh and rested his head against the couch.

Harry smiled and stood to find the others had risen also.

"Is that all you've got to say?" asked O'Neill rather aggressively.

Harry squared off against him. "No," he said, "But what I have to say can wait until after we get Dr. Jackson fixed up." He daringly poked O'Neill in the ribs, "Besides, don't you think _he'd_ like to be part of that discussion? Hmm…?"

O'Neill just glared and rubbed where he'd poked. Harry didn't see why, the man must be made out of solid rock. He turned to Major Carter.

"Well, while he's deciding… Sam, you can 'guard' me while I raid the dangerous confines of the medicine cabinet. Teal'c, could you and Mr. Grumpy there, get Dr. Jackson's shirt off? I _know_ I've got some Bruise Balm around here somewhere."

Still muttering about 'ill-mannered gits' under his breath, Harry pushed between Carter and O'Neill and headed for the loo.

Carter shrugged at O'Neill and followed.

* * *

Sam caught up with Harry as he turned into the second doorway in the hall. Sure enough, it was a good-sized restroom. He crossed to a tall, thin cabinet and opened the doors. 

Instead of the usual prescription and over-the-counter medicines, there were dozens of small bottles and containers with hand-lettered labels. Most contained unidentifiable substances, at least as far as she could tell. She edged up behind Harry.

He was talking to himself as he rummaged through the cupboard. "Fever-Reducer, no… Blood Replenishers, maybe… Stomach Soother, no… Headache, hmm… Willowbark- yeah, maybe… Oh- Pepper-Up, yeah, good…" He handed three bottles to her. "Hmm… Restorative, that'd be good… Ah- Bruise Balm, there we go."

"Are you sure this stuff is safe?" Sam asked.

"Of course, I made most of it."

"Somehow, I'm not sure that makes me feel better."

"Are you sure that what's in those little white tablets from the pharmacy is totally safe?" he asked back. "Do you always know what's in them?"

"I'm just not familiar with any of these, that's all," said Sam.

Harry stopped. "You don't have to give these to him if you don't want to," he said stiffly. "At least take the Bruise Balm… it'll help. I just thought this'd be faster, but we can run to the store instead."

She held her hand up to stop him from leaving, "No Harry, this'll be fine."

"Alright," he said seriously. "Do you think we need to wrap his ribs?"

"No, I don't think so, most doctors do it more as a reminder than because it actually helps. Do you know quite a bit about medicine?"

"A bit, but I'm nowhere near to being a healer. Actually, I know more about it from the patient's perspective," Harry said as they walked back to the frontroom.

"Were you sick as a kid?"

"No… I guess you could say I fell down a lot." He kept going into the room and she hurried to catch up. She wondered just what that was a euphemism for.

Talking Jack into letting Daniel have the homemade remedies was a little harder. Sam pulled him off to the side when he started sputtering.

"Sir, Daniel _needs_ something and these are from Harry's personal supply. I highly doubt they'll harm him, even if they don't work."

"So, you trust him on this?"

"Yes, I think I do," she said. "Weren't you the one who said 'One step at a time'? So, what's the problem?"

"He.doesn't.have.a.TV," mumbled Jack.

"What?"

"He doesn't have a TV," he said more clearly. "I mean, what kind of a kid doesn't have a TV."

"Oh for heavens sake!" Sam rolled her eyes.

Harry's voice cut through the sudden silence, "Maybe someone who didn't have much chance to watch one as a kid." Harry rose from where he and Teal'c had been coaxing Daniel to take the medicine. He handed Teal'c the Bruise Balm salve. "But if you're that concerned about it, there's one in the bedroom."

There was an awkward pause.

"Now, of you'll excuse me… I need to contact a friend about the Veritaserum Antidote. Otherwise, Dr. Jackson could be babbling for days, which I'm sure none of us wants." He turned and left.

"Oh- Well done, sir!" Sam said sarcastically.

"That did not seem to go well, O'Neill," said Teal'c.

Jack opened his mouth and shut it again without saying anything.

Sam smirked, "It's just the Colonel's infamous diplomacy skills, Teal'c." She frowned, "Although, why he's being so antagonistic towards someone who's been quite helpful and cooperative in getting Daniel back…?"

"I'm still not sure that giving Daniel some _homemade goop _is such a good idea. We really should be hauling his keester in to a doctor or at least getting him some legitimate pain medication."

"A doctor who doesn't have security clearance is out of the question sir. In his condition, he could start spouting off important information about the Stargate… " She paused as Daniel started listing Stargate facts.

"…The alpha gate was found buried at Giza in 1928 by the Langford Expedition. It was first successfully dialed in 1945 and a wormhole was established. Ernest Littlefield entered the Gate but had no way of returning and was deemed lost. The program was shut down until the late 1980s when…"

"Well- like that." She gestured at Daniel Jackson. "How's he doing anyways Teal'c?"

"It appears Harry's medicines are helping him, Major Carter."

Daniel was looking better. His color had improved and his labored breathing had eased. Teal'c soothed some of the so-called 'Bruise Balm' over the worst of the bruises marring the left side of his ribcage. To Sam's amazement, the darker marks began to lighten into the green and yellow colors of older and partly healed injuries.

"Cool!" said Jack. "Guess we should ask for a bottle to take home with us."

Sam shot an ironic look at their Doubting Thomas before glancing back at Daniel. His litany of Stargate trivia had trailed off and he had relaxed enough to fall asleep.

She turned back to O'Neill. "So what's really bothering you about Potter sir?" Sam asked quietly.

O'Neill shook his head. "I just don't like the fact that he didn't even _react_ to all the stuff that Daniel let slip. No shock. No disbelief. Nothing."

"I disagree sir," said Sam. "I was directly across from him and he looked… curious, I think. And maybe a bit worried… just for a second."

"I believe you are both correct," said Teal'c. "He was concerned about what Daniel Jackson said, however he was not shocked or disbelieving about the Stargate or the existence of other races."

"Which means… he knows a lot more than we originally thought," said Jack. "I know we didn't say anything about the Stargate down in Honduras, so Potter got that info from somewhere else. Any ideas on how to get him to spill what he knows and where he learned it from? Carter? Teal'c?"

"Well, we could- " Sam started but stopped as Teal'c interrupted.

"Perhaps we should simply ask him," he said.

"Maybe he's right sir," Sam said. "Harry's been a bit evasive on a few things but he has answered all our questions so far."

"You really think that'll work?" asked O'Neill in a disbelieving tone.

"It's been known to," said Harry's voice from the doorway. He came further into the room. Harry'd obviously washed the hair-gel out and gotten rid of the fake mustache. He looked much more relaxed now that they were in his home. "The Antidote's on the way, should be here within an hour or so. I've started dinner so we can eat soon. I hope no one objects to steak." He looked at them inquiringly.

The guys looked blank but Sam said, "No, it's fine."

"Alright then. It should be done in about 40 minutes. We can talk then or afterwards, your choice." He turned and headed back to the kitchen.

O'Neill shrugged, "Right, if that's all settled, then I'd better call the General with an update."

* * *

_**Harry's Kitchen**_

Harry entered the kitchen trying to quell the small hurt feeling in his chest. _Of course they don't trust me, _he thought. _They don't even know me! We only met this afternoon. I don't know… It just seems longer. Still, after the Ministry fight…_

The sound of steaks sizzling distracted him as he rounded the corner. Dobby was standing on his stool near the stove keeping an eye on them. Harry remembered how difficult it had been to get the Muggle appliance to work amidst all the stasis charms on the cupboards and the refrigeration spells on the Cold-Box. What a nightmare! Albus had helped him to cast the multiple layers of dampening charms over several areas to keep the electronic devices safe from the magic. It was why his Muggle things were grouped together, such as his television and stereo in the Master Bedroom.

"Hey Dobby, I'm back. I can watch them now," he said.

"Harry Potter sir needs to let Dobby be doing the work. Is what I is here for sir!" Dobby squeaked back.

"Dobby. We have this discussion nearly every day. When is it going to stop?"

"When you is letting Dobby do the work, Harry Potter sir. I would nots be a proper elf if I did nots do things for yous. And you never lets me do enough."

Harry rolled his eyes. "That's because I'm only one person and I'm not particularly messy. Besides, it would probably take an army to keep you supplied with enough work to make you happy," he stated. "In any case, I need you to do something else for our guests."

"Oh! Of course sir. Anything for the honored guests of the great Harry Potter! They must also be great to be invited into the home of He-Who-Defeated-The-Dark-One!"

"Dobby! You know I hate that!"

Dobby is sorrys sir but I only speaks the truth," Dobby replied virtuously. "What is they needing sir?"

"Humph!" snorted Harry. "Well, I'd like for you to go get their rental van and luggage. It's in downtown London, two blocks from the Auror Entrance to the Ministry. Here's the license plate number. Just put it at the bottom of the hill near the road and bring their luggage up to the house. If you need help moving the van, go ask Blinken or Penny. Don't try to do it by yourself."

"Harry Potter sir is the bestest master-"

"Dobby! What did I say about calling me Master? Do you want me running around calling you Prince Dobby again?"

"I is sorry! Pleeeease don't be calling me Prince Dobby sir. Anything but that…"

"Very well, but you'd better watch yourself," Harry said. "Anyways, after you're done moving their stuff. You and Blinken'll need to enlarge the second spare bedroom to hold three queen-sized beds."

"Wes can be doing that sir. No problems," said Dobby.

"Oh- and Dobby?"

"Yes sir?"

"Let Penny do the decorating."

Dobby's ears drooped. "But sir…"

"No Dobby! I mean it. It I find out you put even one techno-colored object in the guest bedroom… I'll- I'll… I won't let you clean the house for a month."

"SIR?!!!"

"I mean it."

"As sir wishes… " Dobby sighed and with a snap of his fingers, he was gone.

Harry turned to find Teal'c standing in the kitchen doorway looking faintly curious.

"Who was the small one, Harry Potter?" he asked.

"Um… that was Dobby. He… helps me out around here. I sent him for your luggage. What can I do for you, Teal'c?"

"O'Neill's cell phone is not receiving a signal and he requests the use of your phone."

"I don't have one. Who's he calling anyways?" asked Harry.

"He wished to check in with General Hammond and to tell him about what happened to Daniel Jackson today."

"Yeah, that probably would be a good idea." He paused, "Well, he could try what I do." Harry cast a stasis charm on the steaks so they wouldn't burn. "Let me talk to him."

They went back to the frontroom.

"Ah- Colonel, phones have a hard time working here. The mountains, you know. I usually walk up to the top of that hill over there." He pointed.

O'Neill sighed, "Okay, right…"

"Colonel? Will your General be talking to the President about this?" asked Harry.

"Probably," said O'Neill.

"Well, he should tell him that to really put some pressure on the British Aurors and Minister Scrimgeour, he needs to talk to the people behind the portrait of Ben Franklin."

"Er, What?!"

"Just tell him that, the President should understand," Harry said. "Oh- and if you can't find the house when you're done, just signal. I'll come and get you."

"I don't need your help," Jack grumbled and stomped off.

"Alright, fine," said Harry. "Teal'c- stand where you can watch him. If he starts jumping up and down or something, come get me."

* * *

_**Outside**_

Jack was in a much better mood after he finished his phone call. It sounded like the General was going to be kicking some political ass all the way from Colorado.

He'd also gotten permission to talk to Potter fairly openly since Daniel had spilled the beans anyways. The General still wanted to know where the kid had gotten his information and if possible, exactly what he'd been collecting. If they thought Potter was an acceptable risk, Hammond wanted to meet him and possibly issue an invitation to join the Stargate program.

_I suppose the kid's alright… _he mused. Jack still couldn't believe he'd poked him like that. It also got his goat a bit that Potter could just step in so easily and order everyone around, even if he had understood the Ministry situation better. Plus, you could just tell that there was a lot he wasn't saying. Half the time Jack felt like the kid was two steps ahead of them and would continue to lead them a merry chase until he tired of the game. None of which sat very well with his gut.

He breathed in the clean fresh air. It was nice out here. Nothing like Minnesota of course, but not bad.

His good mood lasted until he turned around and couldn't find the house. _Damn Potter! _he thought. _I'm positive that it was right there! _Determined not to ask for help from a kid still wet behind the ears, he spun in a full circle. _Still no house. Crap. _He was about to give up and wave his hands at where he thought the house was when Potter materialized out of thin air about halfway up the hill.

"Are you about done? Dinner's ready," he said with his hands on his hips.

"What's the trick?" Jack demanded.

Harry grinned, "Lost the house, eh? Just think about what I said when we arrived. Harry Potter lives at…"

"New Godric's Hollow, North Wales," finished Jack and the house reappeared. "Slick."

"It cuts down on the traveling salesmen," agreed Potter.

As they walked back down the hill, a snowy white owl fluttered through the growing twilight. To Jack's amazement, it landed on Potter's shoulder. Harry showed no surprise or alarm. He just petted the bird's chest and said, "Hello, Hedwig. Did you have a nice flight?" The owl ruffled its feathers and stick out its leg. There was a small package tied there.

"Oh- good, the antidote," Potter said. "Come on Colonel. Let's give this to Dr. Jackson and have dinner. I'm starving."

Jack followed, once again feeling like he must have missed something. _And who the hell sent drugs by carrier pigeon- er owls?_

* * *

Daniel seemed to snap back to his regular annoying, bright-eyed self after taking Potter's Antidote. He blinked a couple of times and then shook his head. "What was that stuff?" 

"A powerful truth serum," said Potter.

"How are you feeling Daniel?" asked Carter.

Daniel looked up. His eyes were clear and he curiously glanced around. "I feel alright, sort of like I've got water in my ears. Truth serum, you said?"

"That is correct, Daniel Jackson," answered Teal'c.

"Where are we?"

"We're at Potter's house Daniel," said Jack. "You guys feel like eating? Potter said the food was done."

* * *

The simple meal consisted of grilled steaks, baked potatoes heaped with sour cream, bacon and cheese and tossed salad_. It seemed to go over well,_ Harry thought. _Or at least they cleaned their plates._

The conversation mostly concentrated on bringing Dr. Jackson back up to speed. There had been tense pause when Harry had told Teal'c that he could leave his hat in the entrance hall. Teal'c had hesitated but took off the black bowler. There was an odd gold symbol attached (perhaps even branded) onto his forehead.

"Well, that explains the hat," was all he said. He thought he understood. Before he'd removed the lightning bolt scar, Harry'd always used his fringe to cover it up. It hadn't been the scar itself so much. It was more what it represented and what other people expected because of it.

After dinner they returned to the frontroom. Harry lit a small fire in the fireplace before settling at the end of the sofa. "Where should we begin? I have questions also."

Daniel Jackson leaned forward. "Why don't we trade, question for question?" The others nodded, although O'Neill was a little slower to agree.

"Very well." Harry hoped he was up to this interrogation as he wasn't very good at intrigue and keeping secrets. _Give me a good fight to the death any day, _he thought. _I'll just have to keep it simple and hope for the best._

"How much do you know about the Stargate?" asked Sam.

"They're portals used to travel to other planets. They were built a long time ago by the Alterrans," he answered. "I believe the one you have was discovered in 1928 by the Langford Expedition. The US Air Force has possession and it's top secret."

"How did you- " O'Neill started to demand.

"Ah-Ah-Ah! My turn!" Harry butted in. "Hmm… How long have you been using it?"

"It's been active for seven years," said Jackson.

"Now, how did you find out about it?" demanded O'Neill.

Harry leaned back, "Several places."

O'Neill growled and Jackson said, "Could you keep it civil, Jack? How did you find out about the Stargate, Harry?"

"You, O'Neill, the internet, a lot of deductive reasoning and my mentor, Moros."

"Who's- " started O'Neill but stopped himself and gestured for Harry to ask his question.

"How did you all become involved with the Stargate explorations?"

Daniel started, " I was brought in originally as a linguist. They were stumped by some symbols on the gate and its coverstone. I discovered they weren't hieroglyphs at all but star constellations. I went along on the first mission to Abydos."

Jack went next, "I was asked to go on the first mission to assess any potential threats to Earth. Then, after a year of inactivity, a Gou'ald named Apophis came through our Gate and killed several of our people. They kidnapped another. I was… recalled and asked to head up the team to go after them. That's how it started anyways."

"And you, Sam?" asked Harry.

"My specialty is Astrophysics. I studied the Gate technology and theoretical wormhole physics for two years before the first mission. Then I helped to design and develop the programs for the Dialing Computer. I was asked to join the second mission and have been on board ever since."

"What about you, Teal'c? Somehow, I think your story goes even further," said Harry.

"I'm not from this planet Harry Potter. I lived on Chu'lak, the second planet O'Neill and the others visited. My people, the Jaffa, have been enslaved by the Gou'ald for thousands of years.

The Jaffa are trained from childhood to serve the Gou'ald as Gods. We were genetically altered so that if we leave their service, we will die. I chose to go with the Tauri, to fight against them as false gods. I hope someday to free all my people."

"Whoa! That's- Wow." Harry said. "Who are the Tauri? That's Gou'ald, isn't it?"

"Ah-Ah-Ah! Our turn," said O'Neill.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Alright. What?"

"Just ignore Jack, Harry," said Jackson. The Tauri is a Gou'ald word for the people of Earth. It's what many peoples from Gou'ald occupied planets call us. We've found that the Gou'ald took humans with them when they left Earth. They placed them all over the galaxy to use as slaves and future hosts."

"Ah- Okay," said Harry.

"Who's this Moros guy? Where is he and has he told anyone else?" asked O'Neill.

"That's three questions sir," grinned Sam.

"Well, he got two in," grumbled O'Neill. "I figured I'd better get them in while I could."

Harry smiled as well. "I told you, Moros was my mentor. He helped me to train when I was younger." He ignored O'Neill muttering about diapers. "Moros knew many things about the universe. He was very old when I first met him." Harry's eyes dropped and his smile turned ironic. "I guess you could say he's no longer among the living."

They exchanged glances but let it pass.

What exactly are these 'Kull Warriors' and why did you need the flawed healing device from Central America?" asked Harry for his next question.

"They're darn near impossible to stop is what they are," said O'Neill. "Armor, nearly impenetrable shields and a do-or-die attitude."

"Kull Warriors are a sort of 'super soldier' created by a Gou'ald called Anubis. They're literally grown in a lab and then animated using sarcophagus technology," Sam replied.

"Uh- Sarcophagus technology? I'm not familiar with it," said Harry.

Daniel jumped in, "It's something the Gou'ald came up with to heal the human body. It can heal just about any wound and even bring you back to life after death." Daniel turned a bit pink, "However, it can have very bad side-effects if it's used too often. It's also the foundation for the Egyptian myths about returning from the dead, their gods and pharaohs being immortal."

"Fascinating," Harry said. "Did they-"

"BOYS!" Jack put a stop to the archeological drivel before they could get started. "You'll have plenty of time for that later."

"Riight… " said Harry. "What about the healing device?"

"Yeah- Daniel had the idea. The original sarcophagus was developed by a Gou'ald named Tel'chak, using an Ancient healing device," said Sam. "Daniel thought if we could find it and study it, we could discover a way to counteract its effects."

"Sam and her father designed a weapon that negates the animation," said Jackson.

"Crikey!" exclaimed Harry. "Just how much trouble have you people gotten Earth into?"

"Some," admitted O'Neill. "But we've managed to get it back out again."

"So far," countered Harry.

"Yeah," said O'Neill more seriously. "So far."

"What about you Harry? Why were you in Honduras" asked Jackson.

"Well, I read your grandfather's notebook. The whole Fountain of Youth mythology seemed to be a likely tale that would spring up around such a device. I noticed it was seriously flawed, at least for human physiology. No wonder this sarcophagus doesn't work right."

"How did you know it was flawed, Harry Potter?" asked Teal'c.

"Oh, well… I'd have to take a closer look at it to be sure, but I've seen an actual working Ancient healing device. It had a vastly different feel to it."

"Really? Where? How was it different?" asked Daniel eagerly.

Harry looked sharply at them all. "It's not moveable for one thing. As for differences: the color- the working one gave off a warm amber glow, not that harsh white light. Also, like I said, the feeling was very different. Perhaps a different frequency or something. It was… peaceful… safe, like nothing bad could ever happen there. It's not surprising that the local tribes used it as a meeting place to negotiate treaties. The one from Honduras had a… jarring quality to it." He shook his head. "Something was very wrong with it. Perhaps the Alterrans used it on some other race or lifeform."

"You keep calling the Ancients- 'Alterrans'. Where did you get that word?" asked Jackson.

"It's what Moros said they called themselves," said Harry in surprise. "_Al_ meaning 'Of' and _Terra _meaning 'Earth' or _Alterrans _'Of the Earth'. Apparently they were quite fascinated by our planet."

"Just what was so fascinating about Earth?" asked O'Neill.

"It seems that the Earth hasn't any Naquadah at all, but life flourishes here. They had never encountered another world quite like it. Something about an enormous amount of ambient free energy. This had allowed evolution to take amazing and unexpected paths."

The group stared at him.

"What? You've visited planets far from Earth and probably seen things no one else has… Didn't you think others would be just as thrilled and amazed by what's here?" His seriousness dropped away, and he grinned cheerfully. "I'm sure none of us has even scratched through the surface of all there is to know." His eyes twinkled. "Especially on our own planet, let alone the universe."

Harry bounced to his feet. "I think that's enough heavy conversation for one night. Let me see if your rooms are ready."

As they rose, Jack said quietly, "Is it just me, or does he always seem to be saying several things at the same time. Most of which are going right over my head."

Daniel shook his head, "The more questions he answers the more questions I have. Come on guys."

They followed him curiously down the hall. Harry opened the door to the first spare bedroom.

"I'm sorry about the accommodations, they're pretty Spartan since it's only me living here. I did ask Dobby to spruce things up and air out the beds…"

He stopped short, halfway into the room. "Oh- for pity's sake!"

The others peered around him trying to see inside. Teal'c and O'Neill, who were much taller than Harry started to grin and O'Neill snickered.

Harry cleared his throat, "Uh- I believe this is your room Sam."

The room was done up like some Hollywood idea of a Middle Eastern harem with flowing draperies and gold and ivory inlaid furniture. Shear hangings surrounded the bed, which overflowed with silk pillows. Incense burned on the side table. A practical looking duffle was sitting oddly amongst all the feminine frills. The only good thing Harry could see about it was Penny had obviously restrained Dobby's color choices to pinks, peaches and creams. Rather pleasant, unless Sam was strangled by one of the hangings or something.

By this time, all the guys were chuckling, smiling and O'Neill was practically roaring with laughter.

Harry sighed, "I wouldn't laugh too hard guys… You don't know what he's come up with for you yet."

Sam snickered too.

"Alright, we'd better brace ourselves for the second bedroom. Hope you don't mind, but I've only got the two rooms so you'll have to bunk together. If it's too horrible, I'll have him take it down." He opened the door, dreading what they'd find.

"That little bugger…" Harry muttered.

The others stood there in shock. Sam started laughing so hard, she had to hold her stomach and lean against the wall.

Dobby and Penny had apparently gone for the totally opulent/ medieval castle look for the guy's room.

First off, the room must have been half a Quidditch-field long with gray stonewalls. They were decorated with huge tapestries of the hunt and great battles. Multiple weapons, like broadswords, shields and longbows, hung on the walls along with various antlers and stuffed animal heads. There were candles everywhere. The beds were huge four-posters with heavy hangings in dark blue and green. Furs and rush mats covered the floor. Their modern luggage looked quite out of place at the ends of their beds.

"DOBBY!" Harry roared wondering where Dobby came up with this stuff.

"Yes Harry Potter sir?" Dobby squeaked cheerfully as he popped into view.

"I thought I told you not to decorate!"

"You tells me not to put any techno-colored things in rooms sir. Yous is not saying anything about other stuffs. I lets Penny pick colors, honest! Guests are pleased… Yes?" He looked pathetically hopeful at SG1 and then back at Harry.

Harry suddenly realized that Dobby had just Apparated in front of four Muggles. They were now staring at the two of them like they'd just seen an alien. He turned rather red. _Where are my manners?_

"Uh… Dobby this is Colonel Jack O'Neill, Major Samantha Carter, Dr. Daniel Jackson and Teal'c uh- Murray. Everyone, this is Dobby." He cleared his throat. "Hope you can sleep alright in these rooms. We can straighten things out in the morning. Goodnight."

He grabbed Dobby by the ear and escaped.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: The next installment arrives. Nothing too exciting, maybe next chapter._**  
**_

_**Chapter 11: Bad Press Again  
**_

* * *

_**Castle Bedroom**_

Jack woke around 07:30 which he thought was pretty good, considering his body still thought it was back on Colorado time.

He stretched and sat up. The bed was certainly comfortable enough, but Jack'd figured he'd never get to sleep. Teal'c and Daniel had grabbed their beds first and he'd gotten stuck with the one next to the wall covered in stuffed animal heads. Kind of creepy.

He glanced over and found Daniel sitting, propped up in bed, writing furiously on a list of some sort. The other bed was empty.

"Hey! Daniel… DANIEL!" called Jack.

"Huh? What…?" asked Daniel distracted.

"Where's Teal'c?"

"I don't know… He was gone when I woke up. Maybe he went for a walk."

Jack grimaced, "I hope he can find the place again. Potter wasn't kidding about that."

Daniel's attention drifted back to his list.

"Well, I'm catching a shower and then we need to talk. Carter too. I'll tell her on the way."

Daniel grunted.

* * *

Jack and Sam returned to find Daniel up to about five or six pages. Jack was beginning to pity Potter the next time Daniel caught him alone. 

"Well, there's no sign of Teal'c or Potter. Maybe they went off together," said Carter.

"I don't suppose you happened to see that little Dobby thing again, did you?"

"No sir."

"Uh… Still no clue as to what it was?" asked Jack.

"Not a clue, sir. I've never seen or even heard of such a creature," said Sam.

"What about you Daniel? DANIEL!"

"What?! Oh- " Daniel sighed and put aside his ever growing lists.

"The little Dobby thing…?" prompted Jack.

"Dobby? I'm not sure… There many legends about creatures like gremlins, brownies, fairies and elves. Or the 'little people' of Ireland. Leprechauns, you know. Although, none of their descriptions really match up," said Daniel.

"No, I can't say my idea of an elf pops in out of thin air wearing plaids, polka-dots, four pairs of mismatched socks and a long striped sleep-cap with a gold tassel," remarked Jack. "Are you sure he wasn't an alien? A distant oddly-dressed cousin to the Asgard maybe?"

"We can't be sure of anything until we talk to Harry or Dobby, sir," said Sam. "But with those ears, I'd say not."

"He was obviously intelligent enough to grasp and facilitate the language," said Daniel.

"Who? Potter or Dobby?" Jack smirked.

Daniel and Sam ignored him.

"From the way they talked, I think they've know each other a long time," Daniel said. "He's clever enough to get around Potter's instructions.

Sam snickered, " Did you see Harry's face when he opened my door?" They all laughed.

Jack rose to his feet. "Well, let's search the house while we've got the chance. Give a holler if you find anything interesting."

* * *

_**Harry's Letters**_

To Auror Neville Longbottom,

Longbottom Manor, York

Dear Nev (and Colin),

I'd really like to thank you for your invaluable help at the Ministry yesterday. You and Colin probably saved out behinds with those distractions. It certainly gave us the chance to get our friend back with the minimum amount of fuss. Greene and his flunkies used their fists to persuade him to talk and when that didn't work, they overdosed him with Veritaserum. He's going to be fine, by the way. So thanks.

I sincerely hope you didn't get into any trouble over this. I'm sure Scrimgeour is on the warpath again and will probably blame me. Don't worry about it. I'll muddle through whatever he throws at me.

Speaking of our beloved Minister, I've got some sensitive information about his activities for the past year that need to be delivered into trustworthy hands. Both at Auror Headquarters and to the Wizengamot. Can you help with that? I can't put them in a letter. Perhaps, you and Colin could come by my house this afternoon. I'll probably be housebound for a while. At least until the heat wears off.

Thanks again,

Harry

PS. I'd love to hear about your parts in the Ministry 'Distraction'. Colin didn't get any picts, did he?

* * *

To Rita Skeeter, Correspondent 

Care of Daily Prophet

Miss Skeeter,

As the wielder of such a deadly sharp quill, Miss Skeeter, you've never been afraid of a difficult or controversial subject. Especially, if it leads to a juicy new scandal about a certain Minister of Magic.

I have a journalistic challenge for you. I am including several small clues and my own side of the story, but I think that if you follow up on these leads you could find yourself sitting on the biggest story of the year with only a little digging.

First, I've enclosed transcripts of the Minister's most recent conversations. Disturbingly, he seems to have become more and more paranoid about myself and these so-called conspiracies against the Ministry. I'm not sure where this is coming from since I've had little to no contact with the magical world for nearly six years. In any case, I'm sure you'll find them fascinating reading.

Second, my own account of what happened yesterday evening at the Mariott Hotel near Regent's Park.

To sum it up: Aurors Aaron Greene, Brian Jacobson and Timothy Grevins were ordered by Minister Scrimgeour to forcefully detain and question myself and four American Muggles. We were meeting about an archeological trip to Central America a few weeks back. The Aurors confronted us in the hotel lobby and forced a full magical duel in full view of over 30 Muggle witnesses. They put up dampening fields to conceal their semi-legal actions, which prevented the appropriate authorities from being notified. As a result, the Obliviator Squads didn't come until well after the fact. Quite a few Muggles left the scene without having their memories modified. (You might try interviewing a Miss Agatha Maplewood. She was the desk clerk who reported the incident to the Muggle Policemen. She was hit by a Diffindo curse thrown by Auror Greene and taken to hospital before any Obliviators arrived.)

While corruption and misuse of power are nothing new coming from the office of the Minister of Magic, this incident should concern everyone in the magical community. The Minister's increasing paranoia has caused his subordinates to become alarmingly reckless and come dangerously close to exposing the Magical World. While I have personal knowledge of this one incident, I'm concerned that there may be other serious breaches of the Statute of Secrecy- past and future.

I know how determined you can be in searching for those little secrets that people like to keep to themselves. I'm sure Minister Scrimgeour has his fair share. With your hidden talents and reporter's nose for news, I'll bet you can buzz around and discover more secrets than even I suspect.

Good Luck on your Search,

Harry Potter

PS. You can also keep an ear out for possible future stories in the offices of the Supreme Mugwump Amelia Bones and Head Auror Trenton Appleby.

* * *

To Goblin Tarmac, 

Account Manager of the Potter and Black Estates

Care of Gringotts, London

Guardian of my Vaults,

You'll be hearing soon enough about my latest entanglement with the Ministry. Scrimgeour has stepped over the line as far as I am concerned. I'm afraid I'll need to use the information we discussed at our last meeting.

I'll need three copies of the financial records for the following businesses: Pureline, Ltd. and Lion's Pride Investments. Records going back 10 years if possible. Since they are public companies it shouldn't be a problem.

Also should the Wizengamot or the Head Auror's office order an investigation into Scrimgeour's finances, could you make sure that the records for vaults #660, #1412 and #1737 are included. We wouldn't want them to miss anything important now would we?

May your Gold Always Flow,

Harry Potter

PS. I hope that your mate, Silverflake and the new gobling are doing well. You'll have to send me a picture. I'm sure he'll be sharp as a fresh quill with you as his Drak. Take care Tarmac, Harry

* * *

Harry flexed his fingers after finishing the last letter. He hoped these would get the Quaffle moving on Scrimgeour. Harry sent the letters and packages off with Hedwig and decided to go for his morning run. He'd been up since 5am writing letters and preparing the documents he wanted to give Tonks, Neville and Colin. 

Harry'd enlarged his CCD (Camelot Communications Device) to its laptop form and printed out three copies of the recorded transcripts of Scrimgeour's conversations. With over a year's worth, they'd added up to quite a novel. Thank heavens for feather-light charms. Most of it was garbage, but there were several incriminating gems among the rest. He'd let the Aurors and the Wizengamot sort through it.

Harry dressed in some shorts and a T-Shirt he gotten at last year's World Cup. It showed a pair of crossed brooms and said _'DUEL TO THE DEATH'_.

He entered the kitchen to find Teal'c, sitting at the table gazing off across the valley.

"Good morning, Teal'c. I hope you slept well. Would you like a cup of tea?"

Teal'c nodded. "I would be pleased to try something new. O'Neill and the others drink coffee in the morning, but I find I do not care for the taste."

Harry made a face. "I don't think the taste is what they drink it for. Personally, I can't stand the stuff. It always tastes like someone burnt something and stuck it in water."

They enjoyed a quiet tea with a tray of gingernut biscuits Harry dug out of the cupboard. "I'm going for a run. Would you care to come along, Teal'c?" asked Harry when they'd finished.

"Very well."

Harry loved this time of day. The birds were singing their morning greetings and a cool breeze blew softly. He and Teal'c were silent for the most part while they ran. Just the sound of their breathing rushing in and out of their lungs and their feet slapping against the path.

He was puffing pretty good as they came back up the hill. It was only about two miles down to the river, but the path was all uphill on the way back. Harry slowed down to a walk to cool down as they neared his house.

"How often do you do this, Harry Potter?" Teal'c asked.

Harry's breathing slowed, "I take it you don't? Usually, I have to carry those people back."

Teal'c shook his head. "I had extensive training many years ago. On base, O'Neill and I box or use the machines in the weight room. But not running."

Harry nodded. "I've always been good at running… ever since I was a kid. It comes easy for me."

"Harry Potter, why were the others so concerned about the small one last night?"

"Well… I don't think they've ever seen or heard an elf before. It was probably disturbing." He smirked, "Heaven knows, I've known about Dobby's people for years and I still find him disturbing. They can be rather excitable. Have you ever met someone similar… uh- offworld?"

"No, I have not. Although the Asgard are similar in build, they are twice as tall. Also, they have only a vestigial nose and ears."

"Asgard... Asgard... Oh yeah, Moros spoke of them with the greatest respect. I've only found a few things relating to them. Items with Nordic ruins. He said they were highly advanced."

"Yes, I do not believe they have spent a great deal of time on your planet. They have studied humans on occasion and have rescued and provided shelter for some on the worlds they control. One called Thor has helped us several times."

"And Dobby's like them?" asked Harry.

"Not particularly, only in stature," said Teal'c.

"I've never asked Dobby where his people come from. I wonder if he'd tell me? I do know they've been here on Earth for at least a couple thousand years."

They climbed the stairs to the deck and entered the kitchen through the sliding glass door. Harry was just closing it when a shout of frustration came from upstairs, along with O'Neill's voice cursing rather graphically.

* * *

_**The Search**_

They started the search with the ground floor. Daniel checked the doors off the hallway. It seemed like a nice house with hardwood floors, rough-cut wood beamed ceilings and huge windows to show off the scenery. The two guest bedrooms with their… unusual decorations were quite different from the rest of the house. It was simply done in earth-tones with green and blue accents.

First, there was a full bath with a large antique claw-foot tub. Daniel eyed the tub for a moment and sighed wistfully. He was still sore from the beating, although nowhere near as bad as he'd thought he'd be. At the time, he'd figured Greene had broken some ribs but apparently not.

Sam came in with her sampling kit.

"What're you doing Sam?" he asked her as she opened the door of the medicine cabinet.

"Harry gave you some of these homemade remedies, Daniel. They seemed to work rather well, but I'd like to take some samples, just to be sure," she said. "Why don't you check the Master Bedroom."

He bumped into Jack going into the next room. "Watch it, Daniel."

"Back at you, Jack. Find anything suspicious?" he asked watching as Jack efficiently checked dresser drawers and then moved to the wardrobe.

"Nothing yet. At least he's got a TV."

Wondering what the hell that meant, Daniel looked at the neatly made bed. He checked under the pillows and felt along under the mattress. As far as he could tell there was nothing there. The only thing beneath the bed was a flat box with extra blankets and sheets.

As he put the bed back together, Daniel glanced at the nightstand and stopped short.

"Jack?"

Yeah?"

"I think you need to look at this."

The bedside table held a collection of pictures, full of people caught laughing or smiling during happier times. However, they were moving.

After the first shock, he could see they each were running through a continuous loop. He cautiously picked one up. It showed four teens: Potter, a young woman with bushy brown hair and two redheads, probably siblings. The brown-haired girl and the red-haired boy were arguing as Harry and the other girl watched and shared a smirk over their heads.

"How's it doing that?" asked Jack.

"I'm not sure… It looks just like a normal picture frame," answered Daniel after examining it. "Another question for the list, I guess."

"Right. Let's move on, we don't know when they'll be back."

The rest of the first floor didn't reveal anything except that Potter kept a neat, comfortable house, liked to cook and read mostly science-fiction/fantasy.

The stairs were across from the Master Bedroom and led both up and down. The basement was small and had only four rooms, which only raised more questions. The most normal held a washing machine and dryer along with the usual laundry supplies. In the corner was a small door, which led into a small bedroom. It contained three beds, one was obviously Dobby's. There was an eye-popping collection of clothes hanging in the corner and a basket of multi-colored yarn next to a chair. Curiously, a picture of Harry Potter was enshrined above the bed. It had dozens of socks (of all colors and sizes) pinned up with tacks all around it.

"Daniel, do you have _any_ kind of explanation for that?" asked Jack faintly.

"Nope. What else is down here?"

The other two rooms were even stranger. Both were basically empty. The first looked like a cell of some kind and contained only a tattered blanket and pillow. The metal walls were horribly scratched by what looked like claw marks. Big claw marks. The door was made to be locked both from the outside and the inside. Totally mystified, Daniel and Jack opened the last door. It was about the size of a large closet. Odd glowing lights blinked on when Daniel stepped inside but there was nothing there.

Jack shrugged, "Come on, Let's try the upstairs." They met Sam coming out of the bathroom and she joined them.

The upstairs was as open and airy as the first floor with more of those huge windows. The room to the right of the stairs held exercise equipment. A bike, a treadmill, a Bowflex and a rack full of free-weights of various sizes. The floor at the back of the room was covered in mats and there was a large circle painted on them. In the corner, there were four manikins lined up.

"What do you suppose those are for?" asked Sam.

"I don't know, but he's got a sweet set-up here," said Jack.

"Hey Sam! Look at this," called Daniel.

Off the exercise-room, was a laboratory of some kind. Regular glass flasks and bunsen burners were shelved neatly alongside small metal pots of various colors. A sophisticated-looking scales sat next to an old-fashioned hourglass and above it all was a framed Diploma. It was for an Associates Degree in Organic Chemistry and written across the glass in big letters was: _TAKE THAT, SNAPE!_

"Whoa! Harry did say he made those medicines downstairs. I guess he wasn't joking," she said.

Daniel browsed through the ingredient shelves. "Sheesh! Do you recognize any of this stuff, Sam?"

"Some… Herbs mostly… But some of this stuff is…"

Jack pulled down a small, labeled pot. "Armadillo bile? What the hell?" He quickly put it back and wiped his hand on his shirt.

Sam, meanwhile, was poking through several books she'd pulled down. "I wonder if he'd walk me through some of these," she said as she flipped to a marked page with a concoction called 'Blood Replenisher'. "We'll need to analyze the samples I took from downstairs but I'll bet Janet would beg to get her hands on some of these healing agents. Although the ingredients have some pretty wild names… Given the age of this book, that's not too surprising."

Daniel grinned as Jack reached his breaking point and yanked the book away.

"Bug Potter with it later. We've got at lest one more room to search. And keep an eye out for any of these artifacts he's supposed to have brought back. Okay?"

They hit the jackpot with the next room. Daniel thought it was his idea of heaven. The morning light poured through a great bow window onto row after row of books.

What a library! It was filled from floor to ceiling with old books, new books, parchment rolls, leather bound vellum, papyrus scrolls and even stone tablets. Written in different dialects of ancient Egyptian, Greek and Latin, as well as some documents in older forms of Hebrew, Aramaic and Arabic. They filled every conceivable nook and cranny of the shelves. Nestled in amongst it all were small bits of archeological treasure: Coins, jewelry, statues, small blades, leatherwork, relief sculpture and petroglyphs. In the center sat a comfortable-looking chair and a table with a lamp.

"Wow!" said Sam.

"Yeah," said Daniel.

Jack snorted, " Forget about talking to Potter into visiting America… We're going to need some C4 to get Daniel out of Potter's library!"

"Yeah," said Daniel.

His mind whirled, jumping from object to object, Daniel wandered down the isles trailing his hand down book spines and trying to talk himself out of picking up every item he came across.

Daniel's mouth fell open over what looked like a complete set of both _Naturalis Historia _and _History of Our Times_ by Pliny the Elder. _I wonder if Potter'll let me borrow this, _he thought when Jack's voice dragged him back to the present.

"DANIEL!"

He considered ignoring him but Sam broke in with, "Hey, Daniel. You should come look at this tablet."

"What tablet?" he asked, walking out from between the bookshelves.

Sam pointed toward the bow window. There was a small four foot table with several items displayed on it, including a large stone tablet in the center. Egyptian by the look of it.

"Doesn't that look like the piece that Weasley spoke of?" asked Jack.

"Yeah, come to think of it. I didn't realize you were actually listening," said Daniel and went to pick it up. His hand only got within a foot of the table when his whole body went rigid and froze in place.

"Daniel? Sam inquired. "Daniel what's wrong?"

"Can't move…" he got out through stiff lips.

"What?" She grabbed his arm with both hands and tried to pull, but found herself stuck to Daniel. "Ahh!" she squawked.

"What's the matter with you two?" asked Jack and came up behind them.

"Sir! Don't- "

But it was too late.

* * *

Harry and Teal'c came through the doorway to find them in a strange three-way embrace. 

"What do you think you're doing in my- " Harry broke off, "Is there something I should know about you three?" His anger faded away before a strong feeling of amusement.

O'Neill grunted, "Just get us out of this!"

"Exploring were you? You could have asked."

Teal'c! Stop snickering and come help!" Teal'c started forward but Harry stopped him.

"No, don't go any closer Teal'c, or you'll get stuck too." With a flick of his hand, Harry released them from the trap. They all lurched and crashed to the floor. There was a series of groans, ouchs and curses.

"I don't suppose you've learned anything from this?" Harry asked mildly.

"Yeah," said O'Neill. "Never let Daniel touch anything…"

"…Ever again," added Sam.

"Humph!" snorted Daniel as they climbed to their feet.

"It's certainly never boring with you guys around," said Harry.

"We aim to please," quipped O'Neill.

"Hmm… Just what was it you wanted to look at Dr. Jackson?" asked Harry.

"The Egyptian tablet," said Jackson sheepishly. "Old Kingdom, right?"

"Yes," said Harry. "You would find that one particularly interesting." He reached over, picked up the piece and handed it to Daniel. "It speaks of a great warrior named 'A'ha the Fighter', who drove out the previous rulers. He believed them to be supernatural beings or spirits, caught midway between gods and men. It somehow warped their souls and made them unrecognizable."

Harry gestured at the picture. The carved relief showed a heavily armed Egyptian pointing at a pyramid with wings flying through the starry night sky. "But what's truly fascinating is the language it's written in and the picture."

"Yes," said Teal'c, "Very similar to Ancient dialects of Gou'ald. Intrguing."

"Nevermind about the rock, how did you freeze us in place like that?" put in O'Neill.

"The shield was merely to protect some rare artifacts," said Harry.

"How does it work?" asked Sam curiously.

"Well, it's called a shield trap. If the shielded area, in this case the table, is disturbed at all, the energy wall expands outwards, catching the object inside it. Sort of like a bug caught in amber."

"How come it didn't catch you then?" asked O'Neill.

"Because I designed it and told it not to," said Harry, rolling his eyes. "If you want to continue the question and answer session, I'll meet you downstairs after I shower and dress."

* * *

_**The Frontroom**_

"We'd like to know about this Dobby," said O'Neill.

"Well, his people are called house elves and he is my friend," Harry said.

"Have you known him a long time?" asked Sam.

"Yes, I met him when I was twelve, so almost a dozen years."

"How come no one else has ever heard of them," asked Jackson.

"That's not strictly true. House elves can be very discreet and selective about who sees them. Dobby is probably the loudest and most enthusiastic elf you'll ever meet. Most are very quiet and shy. Supposedly, it is the mark of a 'good house elf' to do all their 'work' and never be seen."

"Do you know where they came from?" asked O'Neill.

"If you're trying to ask if elves are native to Earth, I'm afraid I never thought to ask. As I told Teal'c, I do know that elves have been here for a long time, two thousand years, maybe more."

"How did you meet him?" asked Jackson.

Harry turned a bit pink. "Long story. Dobby decided that my life was in danger. For the next year, he kept trying to 'save me from a great evil', but he wouldn't tell me who or what it was. The trouble with Dobby's help was that I kept getting either detentions or put into the hospital. He broke my arm once, the little bugger," Harry stated with exasperated affection. "I made him promise to never 'save my life again'."

"How's he do that disappearing thing?" O'Neill asked.

"He calls it 'popping'. It's not like any other form of transport I've seen."

"Can anyone call him like you did?" asked Sam.

"Well, probably. But, whether he'll answer is another story. Why don't you try?" said Harry.

"Umm… Okay… Uh, Dobby? Can you come here… please?" she called.

A small, head with big ears and green eyes peeked around the kitchen doorframe. "Yes, miss Major Sam?"

"…Hello, Dobby. We just wanted to ask you a few things. Is that okay?"

Dobby looked at Harry, who nodded. "Harry Potter sir says okay."

"Can you hear us calling from a long ways away?" asked Sam curiously.

"Yeses. Dobby have good ears. Hear you from long ways. Several pops. Hear Harry Potter sir from even longer ways."

"Why is that, Dobby?" put in Jackson.

"He is mast-" he stopped. "He is one I swears my oath to. We is bonded. He call me friend. I listen all the time. Hear from long, long way." He looked earnestly at Harry.

"Thank you Dobby," Harry smiled. "I know I can count on you. Why don't you come and sit down?" The elf swelled with pride and sat himself next to Harry.

"Do you know where your people came from Dobby?" asked Jackson. "Any stories about long ago?"

"Old elfs tell of days long back. Elfs live in forest. Tend the trees, flowers. Take care of them. But not work enough for all Elfs, so some unhappy. Then old ones come and some elfs go to live with them. Take care of them so theys can do important works. Old ones give us name. Call us _Custelva _or the Custodians. Long time very happy. Then old ones grow sick, many die and others leave. Elfs go back to forest but not happy there now. Find new people that needs help. Harry Potter's people. This time, old elfs say we take oaths to new people so that we knows where they are. They no can leave us. It work but some childs of new people not good. Oath still binds, we no can leave either." Dobby's ears drooped.

"And that's how the elves became enslaved…" Harry said quietly. "Dobby, you said you made your oath to me… You don't really think you're my slave, do you? I told you when you came here, that I needed a friend not a servant."

"That be why Harry Potter sir is bestest master ever! Blinken and Penny agree. Yous lets us do your works but wants us to be free and happy. Is best of both, Harry Potter sir!"

"I swear Dobby," said Harry. "Sometimes your logic ties my brain in knots."

"I believe he means that the oath works as it was meant, because of your good intentions, respect and regard for Dobby," said Teal'c.

"That be it, sir Murray sir," said Dobby.

"Who are Blinken and Penny, Dobby?" asked Jackson.

"They be other free elfs Harry Potter sir save. Blinken's old master hurts him bad and gives clothes when he no can work. Harry Potter sir give potions and make better. Give job. Penny shy elf. No can speak easy to peoples and they throw her clothes. Harry Potter sir find her near street and save her from autobugs."

"Sounds like a real hero there," drawled O'Neill.

"Oh yes, Colonel Nealy sir, he is!" agreed Dobby.

"Give clothes?" asked Jackson, smothering a chuckle at O'Neill's expression.

"That's what elves call being sacked," said Harry. "And I just gave them jobs, Dobby. You don't have to make it more than it was."

"Harry Potter sir not understand… is more…" Dobby stopped and his ears cocked sideways. "Someone comes sir. Is your Mooney. I lets him in." Dobby popped away.

"Who's Mooney, Potter?" asked O'Neill.

"Hmm… Oh, his real name is Remus Lupin, Colonel Nealy. He's an old friend of my father." Harry grinned at O'Neill's glare. "It could have been worse."

"Yeah, Jack. He could have called you Colonel Nelly!"

Dobby must have opened the front door as they could now hear yelling.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER! What have you been doing?!" The voice became clearer as Remus stormed into the room. His gaze zeroed in on Harry. "I don't see you for two days- and what do I find in today's paper? Hmm…?" he slapped the paper down in front of Harry just as a woman with spikey blue hair and dangly earrings came in. She waved at Harry over Remus' shoulder.

"Wotcher Harry," she called cheerfully. "That's some anthill you kicked over at the Ministry."

"Hi Tonks," Harry said, "And I haven't read today's paper yet Remus. So I couldn't say what gibberish they've printed, although I can guess."

While Remus was still sputtering, Harry introduced everyone to each other. "So… Can I read it before you yell at me?" he asked.

"Yes, of course but then you've got some explaining to do."

* * *

_**Attack On the Ministry!**_

_**By Terence Tattleby**_

_**At 7pm last evening the Ministry and Auror Headquarters suffered a devastating blow when Ministry employees, Aurors and even the Minister himself were struck down. **_

_**Several groups of unidentified individuals somehow by-passed security and entered the most secure parts of the building. Their true purpose remains unknown since so many departments were hit. Once inside, they wreaked havoc on anyone they found. Fortunately, only minor injuries have been reported.**_

_**Most of the injured parties were nightshift Aurors. Many of the daytime employees had already left. One Auror who wished to remain anonymous reported that the offensive weapons used consisted mostly of select prank bombs from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. He confined how impressed he was at their effectiveness as a concealment and distraction strategy. His partner stated a desire to purchase some for their own personal supply.**_

_**Unfortunately, none of the Ministry employees saw the perpetrators of this attack. With little to no leads to follow, there seems little the Aurors can do to apprehend these miscreants.**_

* * *

_**Minister Accuses Harry Potter in Ministry Break-In**_

_**By Ima Goossip**_

_**In a stunning statement this morning, Minister Scrimgeour has accused Harry Potter in planning and possibly participating in the attack on the Ministry. While he refused to give details that might hamper the investigation, the Minister stated that he has known for some time that the famous Boy-Who-Lived has been involved in a conspiracy against the Ministry.**_

_**Apparently, Harry Potter has long harbored a grudge against the magical community for its lack of praise after he defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He has now struck back against the most visible part of our society. The Minister maintains that Potter and his band of evil minions attacked to try to free a dangerous criminal caught by Aurors under the direct orders of the Minister himself.**_

_**Minister Scrimgeour is resting comfortably today after sustaining a slight concussion in yesterday's attack. He and several brave subordinates fought off a large group of the attackers when they invaded his office.**_

* * *

"Humph! What rubbish!" said Harry. He froze the front-page photo of a Ministry office billowing smoke and handed the paper to O'Neill who was trying to look over his shoulder. "So… how long have you guys been my evil minions?"

"What?!" protested O'Neill.

"What's going on Harry?" asked Remus. "Last I heard you weren't even going to talk to them. Now you've stormed the Ministry to rescue them."

"Only one," said O'Neill.

"Hey!" said Jackson.

Harry recapped the events of the previous day. When he'd finished, Remus sat there looking like he thought Harry was slightly crazy. Tonks looked like her grin might split her face.

"Oh, Harry!" she snickered. "I wish you'd gotten a photo of the swamp in Scrimgeour's office."

A small smile came to Remus' face. "I wish you'd had taken some more back-up. You have to stop running headlong into scraps like this. I'm getting too old to worry about you so much."

"Just how often do you get into 'scraps like this', Harry?" asked a grinning Sam.

"Too often," said Remus.

"Potter, who is this Scrimgeour character? And what's this about you being famous for defeating some guy who's name they can't remember?" asked O'Neill, passing the paper to Jackson.

Tonks laughed and Harry smiled. "I'll have to remember that one." His smile faded. "It's hard to talk about because so many friends died. Some years back, there was a fanatical madman named Voldemort. He and his followers wanted to take over and rule the world. With them on top and everyone else as slaves, of course. Anyone who they felt was in the way, they tortured and killed. They operated like terrorists and struck without warning. People became so afraid of them they refused to even say his name and made up ridiculous substitutes."

"Well, that sounds familiar," said O'Neill.

"What's this got to do with you?" asked Sam.

"I'm getting there," said Harry. "Voldemort tried to kill me several times and for various reasons I survived. He got a bit obsessed with me and everyone else seemed to view me as some kind of mascot, The-Boy-Who-Lived.

The point is… the last time we met I got very lucky and took him out. That's where the famous part comes in."

"How old were you?" asked Jackson.

"Seventeen."

O'Neill whistled. "And Scrimgeour?"

"Well, he rode into office by promising to take out Voldemort and bring me 'under Ministry control'. (Apparently, I was too dangerous by myself) But he hit a few snags. 1) The Ministry wasn't even there when Voldemort fell and 2) I left and refused to become his posterboy. He hasn't been my friend since."

"Friend!" exclaimed Remus. "He's bad-mouthed you to the press every chance he's got!"

Even Tonks looked serious. "Harry, I think you're taking this too lightly. Scrimgeour's been looking for something to pin on you for a long time. I doubt he'll let this go easily. You need to think about laying low for a while."

"Alright, guys. I'll behave," Harry passed if off. "It's just bad press. It'll pass, just like it always does."

"Your friends are just concerned about you Harry," said Sam. "Scrimgeour didn't strike me as the type to forgive and forget."

"I know, and I appreciate it. It's just that when you've had as much bad press as I have… " he said. "Speaking of our favorite Minister… I've got a few things about him that I need you to deliver Tonks. Be back." He stood and dashed out.

O'Neill turned to Remus. "How much did he leave out, 'cause I'm betting it was a lot."

"Yeah… He almost never talks about it. I'm surprised he said that much," said Remus. "What he said was all true. Harry had survived five attacks by Voldemort by the time he was fifteen. He disappeared to train for eighteen months. He came back during a major battle of what we've called the Two-Day Massacre. Harry confronted and killed Voldemort. It was the most amazing duel I've ever seen. Voldemort threw everything he could think of at him and Harry brushed it aside. He only took three shots, one to distract and two to finish it. Unfortunately, that's when the trouble started…"

"Trouble?" prompted Jackson.

"Yeah, instead of praise or congratulations, people only complained about why he didn't do it faster. And then Harry found out about his friends."

"His friends?" asked Sam.

"Nearly all of them were dead. Killed sometimes during the Massacre. His foster family, his two best friends, the girl he fancied, all gone… He blames himself for not coming sooner. I think-"

Harry broke in, "I think that's more that they needed to hear, Remus. Please stop." His fists clenched.

"Of course, Harry. I didn't tell them about it to hurt you," Remus said softly.

"I know," he cleared his throat. "Ah, Tonks. As you're the Black representative on the Wizengamot, I'd like you to present this information about Scrimgeour to Madam Bones. I'm going to have Neville and Colin give a similar package to Head Auror Trenton Appleby and Archibald Croaker. You'll notice Gringotts kindly contributed some financial records but there were more if the Wizengamot would want to subpoena them. Oh- and I've sent some interesting facts to Rita Skeeter. So she'll be poking around soon too."

"Whoa, Harry! I'd hate to piss you off," said Tonks.

"Well, hopefully it's enough to give Scrimgeour plenty of problems to worry about besides me," Harry said grimly.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: The next installment. Bit of a cliff-hanger, people. Sorry about that but them's the breaks. The zippo lighter/portable floo idea comes from Rorshach's Blot and his Professor and Henchgirl.**  
**

_**Chapter 12: Building Pressures**_

* * *

Remus and Tonks stayed until after lunch where they'd mostly speculated about what Scrimgeour would do next. 

The SG1 crew went into a huddle while he and Dobby cleaned up. They seemed to decide to do their own separate things. Teal'c was doing something involving candles since he asked Dobby to find three dozen of them. O'Neill was going to try out the weight room and Harry told him he could watch TV in the bedroom although the reception wasn't the best. Jackson, of course, wanted access to the library and Sam wanted to try her hand at a potion. The problem was that Dr. Jackson and the Major both wanted Harry to come with them.

Harry sorted it out by keying Dr. Jackson into the various shields, except for his restricted section. Jackson insisted that he start calling him Daniel like everyone else. Harry showed him the pieces from the shielded table. It included a fragment off a gravestone with an interesting inscription in an ancient form of latin. It read:

Invicto Anqueetae- To the Invincible Ancient Ones

Ego, Lucius Antonius Proculus- I, Lucius Antonius Proculus

Primorus Constructum Via- First builder of Roads

Batavorum Antoninianae- Of Batavians Antoniniana

Votum Soluit Libens Merito- Willingly and Appropriately Fulfilled his Vow.

They argued happily about which Latin Reference texts were best for the more ancient forms. Harry pointed out several books Moros had given him when he'd begun to learn Ancient.

Once Daniel dove into the books, sort of like fish into water, Harry went to find Sam. After all he didn't want her picking an overly volatile potion and blowing up his lab. Fortunately, she'd settled on some Bruise Balm, since they wanted to take some back with them anyways. Harry ran her through the process and helped her find the ingredients. It actually only had two magical ingredients, but he could give her the address of 'The Mortar and Pestle' Potion Supply so they could order those.

He went back to his office to work on his research for his next project. It was nearly 3pm when Dobby came to tell him that Neville and Colin had arrived.

Harry greeted them and led them out onto the deck overlooking the valley.

"Nice view here, Harry," said Neville.

"I like it," said Harry. "Can you stay long? I can have Dobby make us tea."

"No, not too long, Harry. Sorry but we'll have to get back soon," Neville said. "Colin, why don't you show him before you burst?"

Colin was clutching an envelope and practically bouncing in place.

"Oh Harry! It was so much fun yesterday! I've never gotten to do anything like that before. I'll have to get some of those Fred and George bombs myself soon. I heard several of the mates who got pranked want supplies for the whole Auror division. WWW will be getting a huge wave of orders. Won't they be pleased?" He said all of this very fast.

"Breathe, Colin," grinned Harry. "Yeah, I'm sure they'll be delighted. I'm glad you had fun. No one recognized you then?"

"We were fine," Neville said calmly but smiled. "Of course the Disillusionment Charms helped."

Harry smiled back, "Oh of course."

"I got some photos, Harry! Some of them are doosies too." Colin piped and proudly opened the envelope.

He spread the pictures out over the table in between them. Soon they were all laughing over different shots.

Neville and Colin had used over twenty different prank bombs, some of which should obviously not be used together. There was one office that they'd dropped both a Medusa Glow and a Pig Problems. Three pig-like creatures were wandering around with snake hair-dos. Not an attractive combination. Another photo showed Auror Headquarters, after a double assault by portable swamps and Quacker Attacks. The room sported an impressive wetlands, complete with a few trees, reeds and lilypads. Ducks were happily paddling amongst the cubicals. One angry duck stood on a desk, quacking loudly.

"Whoa! You really nailed some of these guys," said Harry. "A few paybacks in here?"

Colin laughed, "Well, a few, Harry. Do you blame us?" He tapped the photo of the pigs. "The blokes from the requisition offices are always on our case about something. The pranks didn't last long. Most of the guys thought it was a grand joke, at least until Scrimgeour found out. Do you realize what he's saying about you, Harry?"

"Yeah, Remus came over with the paper. I knew he'd pull something like this. Don't worry about me, it'll pass."

"That's the other reason we're here Harry," said Neville. "Scrimgeour's ordered a warrant for your arrest."

"On what grounds?" asked Harry. "I was in disguise, he didn't catch a good look at me and O'Neill did most of the talking. How's he even connecting it to me?"

"I don't know Harry, but he must have something. The word is he tried to push Treason against the Magical World and Violent Assault on the Ministry but the Wizengamot flat out refused. Madam Bones said there was no evidence of that. The most he could get was Damage to Ministry Property and Inappropriate Public Conduct."

"Inappropriate conduct?" Harry snorted. "Where do they come up with these things? What about us freeing Jackson?"

"Don't laugh Harry," said Neville. "It _is_ a warrant. As for your friend, I don't think they want to admit you broke in and freed a prisoner. Scrimgeour's ordered all Aurors to be on the lookout for you and to bring you in by whatever means necessary. Who knows what he's told his flunkies. You need to be _very_ careful."

"Bloody hell! He's really pushing this, isn't he?"

"Yeah Harry! Most of us aren't taking it too seriously," said Colin. "However, some blokes weren't too happy about the pranks… and some are listening to the BS he's spouting."

"In any case," Neville put in. "You should stay inside this house, or maybe even leave the country. Go on one of your trips or something. If they catch you…"

"I know- I know- " said Harry running his fingers through his messy hair. "Probably some kind of forced 'confession' of horrible acts and either a one-way ticket to Azkaban or a Dementor's Kiss." He sighed, "I-I don't think I could stand being cooped up even here for extended periods of time… But I can't just leave… Scrimgeour's only going to get worse."

"Harry- Let us handle this one. You can't do everything yourself," said Neville. "Unfortunately this time, I think having you personally involved would only complicate things more and not in a good way. Now, Tonks firecalled and your note seemed to indicate that you've set some plans in motion… What was it you wanted to give us?"

"Oh- just some information I have concerning the Minister. There's a lot to sort through, although I did mark some interesting bits. I'd like you to see it gets into trustworthy hands. People who could start a larger investigation: Appleby and Croaker preferably. Tonks is going to handle the Wizengamot side and I sent a few tidbits to Rita Skeeter."

"Whoa! Harry, you're playing with the gloves off and Bludger balls, said Colin.

"Hopefully, it's enough." Harry stood and turned to go get them the information.

Standing there, leaning against doorframe, was Jack O'Neill. He'd obviously been there for some time listening to their conversation.

"Hello... O'Neill. You _could_ come in and join us," said Harry.

"They're right you know… sometimes you have to sit back and watch how things unfold," he said.

"Yeah, but I've never been good at sitting." Harry shrugged and went to get the packet.

* * *

Jack thought about what he'd heard as Potter brushed by him and went upstairs. It sounded like Potter'd landed himself in some serious shit by helping them rescue Daniel. 

He sat down across from Longbottom and Creevey. "Just how much trouble is he in, boys?" he asked.

"A lot… sir," said Neville. "Scrimgeour's not playing this time. I think he's been waiting for an opportunity like this to get rid of Harry. Before he only used the press to slander his reputation. Harry doesn't take the paper very seriously himself. The problem is… if you tell a lie long enough and loud enough…"

"Yeah, I've heard that one," Jack said. "Why is Scrimgeour so obsessed with Potter?"

"I think he sees him as a rival," said Neville. "You see, Mr. O'Neill, Harry was well known before he killed V-Voldemort. Afterwards… He could have written his own ticket- to anywhere."

Colin smiled, "Yeah, Harry for Minister!"

"Hey! Don't go spreading that around Colin, I've got enough problems." Harry handed Colin the packet of information and he started to leaf through it.

Colin whistled.

"Do you think it'll be enough?" asked Harry.

"I don't know; guess we'll find out," Neville said. "We need to get going now. You behave yourself Harry and _don't_ get yourself caught."

"You say that like I go out of my way to find trouble, Nev…"

"You don't have to Harry, I think trouble has your address." He laughed when Harry flipped him the bird and they left.

Jack turned back to Potter. He was sitting there, staring pensively out the window. "Why is it, that when you're told to stay there, Home Sweet Home suddenly doesn't seem so sweet?" he said quietly.

"Because… it feels more like a cage than a sanctuary?" Jack suggested.

"Yeah," said Potter.

"Potter… your friends suggested you take a trip out of the country. And you just said you didn't think you could stay cooped up here indefinitely…"

"Yeah, so…"

"What would you say about a little field trip to the States?" asked Jack.

"What've you got in mind?" Potter asked curiously.

"The General wants to meet you."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure generals need reasons… but I guess it's because, the more we find out about you, the more we want to know."

"So it's just more interrogations?"

"Well partly… but mostly because we're thinking about offering you a job."

"You're not serious," said Potter.

"Dead serious," said Jack. "In fact, I'm pretty sure Daniel wants to adopt you just so he can get his hands on your library."

Potter rolled his eyes, "Like he doesn't have access to 100 times as much."

"Hey, I was being serious here," insisted Jack.

"Why are you people so concerned about me anyways?"

"Security mostly…" said Jack. "Top secret intel turning up in the hands of a fresh kid from Britain… We got concerned."

"Right. Concerned…" said Harry with a grin. "Well, your top secret security is fine. I certainly didn't know about you until Honduras."

"That's good to know," said Jack.

"As for what I know… Well, Moros won't be telling anyone anytime soon and I won't either."

"You're sure?" asked Jack.

"Yes, I'm sure. Although Bill and Remus might suspect a few things, I haven't spoken of it even to them." Potter smiled, "Actually interrogations and all, it's been nice to be able to talk about it with you Yanks. Though a couple of times, I've worried about escaping the room before Sam or Daniel pick my brain clean. Are they always like that?"

"Pretty much," said Jack. "You get used to it. 'Course, they've never thought my brain had much worth picking…"

Potter grinned at that.

"Will you at least think about coming for a visit?" asked Jack seriously.

"A job, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, I'll think about it."

"Good," Jack said. "Uh… You box?"

"No. I'm not heavy enough to do much damage. What about martial arts?"

"Yeah, some…"

"Cool. Come on, let's try out the mats upstairs."

* * *

The Evening edition of the Prophet fired the opening shots at Scrimgeour. There was a glaring headline about the Minister's warrant for Harry Potter and his latest rants about Potter's conspiracies against the Ministry, however there were also two smaller articles. The first was entitled: **_Ministry Bungle Causes International Incident _**and spoke of the attempted kidnapping of four Americans at the hands of the British Ministry. Both the US Governments- Muggle and Magical- were outraged and pressing for explanations. They had demanded a full investigation into the matter. The Wizengamot had agreed. Minister Scrimgeour was denying any knowledge of the incident. 

The second article was Rita Skeeter's. **_Minister Scrimgeour's Orders Nearly Cause Exposure_****_Of Magical World! _** Apparently she'd been busy. It was all there. Harry Potter's side to the story. The fact that Scrimgeour had ordered their arrest simply for trying the talk to him. Interviews with Muggle witnesses and the bully boys that Greene had used. The hasty and sloppy clean-up after the fact and a scathing denunciation of how close the entire affair had come to exposing Magic to the Muggles.

* * *

_**2 Days Later**_

Harry leaned back in his comfortable desk chair and put his feet up. His office door had an illusion over it so he was pretty confident that his roaming guests couldn't find it. (Unless, of course, _he_ did something stupid or careless.)

The office contained a hodge-podge of Muggle, Magical and Alien items that he really didn't want to explain. There was his personal pensieve (a gift from Dumbledore before he died), along with his two-way mirror (for contacting Remus) and the portable floo in the form of a zippo lighter that Fred and George had come up with. (Since he couldn't have his address on the Ministry's floo network, that had come in very handy.) An Alterran version of a computer with its crystal components and keys was interfaced with his regular PC system. He'd cobbled together a way to connect his CCD wrist unit into the others as well. At the moment he was printing out Scrimgeour's latest screaming rants at his aides to send to Skeeter.

In the world outside, the investigation into the Minister and his activities was heating up. The Wizengamot and the Aurors had taken Harry's small contribution and found a tip to an iceberg of illegal and semi-legal methods and actions. The press was having a field day. Apparently, as more and more came out, other wizards and witches came forward with tales of Scrimgeour's deeds. The Minister spent his time denying any knowledge of these accusations and protesting his innocence.

Harry was thinking about this proposed visit to the US but he still wasn't sure if he should go. It was rather tempting, especially if they'd let him see the Stargate. The thought of being stuck in the house for weeks or maybe months made it even more so.

Neville was also right. He could go on another artifact hunt. The research on three Incan temples in Peru and Chili was nearly done, but somehow that didn't seem as attractive an option as it always had in the past. Maybe it was how Moros had described it, 'running around your planet picking up the leavings of alien species'. _That was him: Harry Potter, Garbage Picker. Damned Old Goat._

_Oh well, I'll think about it later. I've got awhile to decide._

O'Neill had told them yesterday that their General Hammond had ordered them to take a mini-vacation until the end of the week. They were to fly back on Saturday from Cardiff International.

The Americans had settled into his routine over the last two days. Running in the morning: first only Teal'c and then O'Neill had come. This morning Carter and Jackson were puffing up the hill with him. Teal'c didn't puff, the big man just didn't seem quite human at times.

After breakfast, they all went their own separate ways. Daniel went to the library, Sam to the potions lab. She was absolutely determined to produce a decent Bruise Balm before they left. The last two attempts hadn't worked out. Harry was just glad she hadn't blown anything up yet. Teal'c did his candle thing, whatever that was. So he was in the Castle Bedroom for a few hours. Right after hearing that they'd be here a while, O'Neill had gone into the nearest town, Llanberis and had come back with a 12 pack of Guinness and a fishing pole. So he usually headed down to the lake.

Harry retired to the quiet of his office or joined either Sam or Daniel. It felt… odd to have so many people around. The question and answer sessions continued but more one on one. Daniel in particular was constantly hammering out questions. Sam could be almost as bad. Harry could tell that they were wondering about what artifacts he'd found (there were only a few in the house). So far, they hadn't pushed… much.

The printer finished and he shut it off. After packaging up the transcript, he grabbed his CCD, portable floo and mirror. He opened the disillusioned door and took a careful look down the hallway before stepping out. No sense giving his secret away. Harry passed through the kitchen and went out onto the deck.

As usual when he had mail for her, Hedwig appeared and fluttered down to settle on his shoulder. Harry petted her chest and scratched her head before giving her the package for Skeeter, another for Tonks and a letter for Remus.

"Take your time with these girl. I don't want you to wear yourself out. Alright?" She accepted one last scratch before lifting off.

Harry sat in his favorite spot on the deck and leaned against the railing. The weather was nice today. Cool but with sunshine peeking through the hazy cloud-covering.

He'd debated with himself about showing them the artifacts in 'the Vault'. On the one hand, they might know more about what some of them were. Harry certainly didn't claim to be an expert. On the other hand, _IF_ he was wrong about them… The security measures he'd placed on the Vault _should_ keep anything from leaving without his permission, but still… it was a risk. They'd only met four days ago.

Harry heard the sliding glass door open. It looked like his quiet time was up. _Perhaps, _he thought to himself as he turned to face them, _I should think of it like one of Moros' tests. No matter how they react to what's in the Vault, I'll learn something about them and what they want. And… depending on their reaction, we'll move on from there._

* * *

Daniel cleared his throat as Harry turned around. "Uh… Harry. We need to talk." 

Harry smiled slightly. "Isn't that what we've been doing for the past four days?"

"Yeah, I know… but we've been dancing around something important: what you've been collecting."

"What about it?"

"Well, what exactly are you looking for, first off?" Daniel asked.

"Stuff that could be dangerous in the wrong hands. Or items that could be harm the unsuspecting," answered Harry.

How do you find them? What sort of scanning equipment do you use?" asked Sam.

"Research mostly. Research into crack-pot theories or legends and myths. Research on the different areas- the gods and goddesses, special revered places. Local peoples- tales of long ago. The exploration of the sites. As for scanning equipment," Harry laughed. "Well, I do have a small device which helps locate Alterran artifacts, but Gou'ald… that's another story."

"We've got time," Daniel said and they all found seats around Harry. "What about the Gou'ald?"

Harry stared at them. "Alright… The Gou'ald seem very fond of a metal called Naquadrah and they use it in a lot of their technology. Naquadrah stores energy and it… pulses, I guess is the best way to describe it. So I follow the pulse."

Daniel stared back, "Are you saying you can… feel the 'pulse' that the metal gives off?"

"Yes."

Sam went off on a long lecture about how it wasn't possible to detect minor energy fluctuations without sophisticated scanners until Jack stopped her. "Getting back on track here, how much of this dangerous stuff do you have, Potter?"

"A fair bit."

"Is it secure?"

"Yes."

"How secure?"

"No one can take anything from the Vault without my permission."

"In that case, will you take us to see it?" Jack asked.

"Why?" Harry shot back.

"To verify what you've said and well, we're all a little curious about what you've found, okay?"

"Do you all promise not to touch anything down there without asking what it is first? Some of this stuff _is_ dangerous," asked Harry.

They agreed.

"Alright… Follow me." Harry led them down into the basement and to the closet-sized empty room. He opened the door and gestured inside. With skeptical looks they filed in. O'Neill was the last one to enter before Harry. The lights blinked on when Sam, Teal'c and Daniel stepped inside but when Jack went in the whole room began to hum and a panel slid open on the far wall. Harry stared at O'Neill. "Hmm… we should try a few experiments with you Colonel."

It was a bit cramped with five people in a 4' x 6' foot space but Harry squeezed by. He touched the third glowing light on the screen.

The room dissolved into bright light for an instant. Everyone blinked their eyes and found themselves in what look like the same small room.

"What the hell was that? Is this a joke?" grumbled Jack. Daniel wondered the same thing.

Harry gestured towards the door. "Open the door and find out, Colonel."

Instead of Harry's basement, they stepped out into what Daniel could swear was Aladdin's Cave.

"Holy crap!" said Jack.

"Indeed," echoed Teal'c.

"Welcome to the Vault. Please remember not to touch anything- " said Harry. He'd no sooner finished than there was a zapping sound and a loud "Owww- !" Everyone looked to find Jack shaking out his hand.

"What?!"

Harry shook his head and muttered something about 'fools rushing in'. He led them to the left side of the room, where to Daniel's amazement Harry walked through the wall. Sam put her hand up watched as it went right through the illusion of a perfectly solid stone wall. Harry popped back out.

"Sorry, I just wanted to turn off a few things before O'Neill electrocuted himself."

"Hey!"

"Well… Is there something you wanted to look at first?"

Daniel looked around the room. It seemed to be divided into sections. Gou'ald, Ancient, Asgard and some stuff he'd never seen before too.

Gou'ald stuff first, I guess," Daniel said. There were racks of staff weapons- 300 or more as well as Zat'nik'tels and something that looked like a flamethrower. Several tables held torture sticks, Gou'ald Hand-Devices, a dozen palm-sized communication spheres, a basket of Gou'ald shield armbands, a set of linked bracelets and one of those nasty double-bladed knives.

Daniel was drawn to the dozens of stone tablets, statues and scrolls filled with Gou'ald hieroglyphs. Before he realized it, Daniel reached out to touch a small 12" inch high statue of the jackel-headed god Anubis. Harry's hand flashed and he caught his wrist.

"No. Don't touch that one. It's cursed."

"Cursed?" asked Sam skeptically.

"Well, literally it's got several defenses but one of them involves a poison. If you touch it, within a few hours you'll be very sick if not dead. Is that cursed enough?" asked Harry.

Jack and Teal'c were examining the staff weapons. "Just how many of these are operational?"

"Most," admitted Harry. "I've found several large caches. Makes it look like some sort of armory down here."

Sam had wandered over to the Asgard section. It was quite small compared to the Gou'ald. There were six semi-transparent 'stones' with Norse ruins along the edges, a small wooden carving of a spaceship- crude but it did look like an Asgard design, and a small red and white device which could have been a personal cloaking device. In the center of the table was a large handsome stone basin perhaps 18" inches in diameter. It had the same ruin writings around the edges and sides.

"Harry? Do you know what this is?" asked Sam. She stepped closer and peered at the basin.

"Yes. It's a very early form of a pensieve. I'd never realized that method of viewing things came from the Asgard. Beautifully carved, isn't it?" He ran a finger along the edge.

"A pensieve? I've never heard of them. What does it do?"

"Oh- " Harry paused and looked uncomfortable. "Well, they allow you to review memories. The more modern ones allow you to actually go inside a memory. However, this one merely shows a hologram-like image."

"Really? Can you show me?" she asked as the others wandered over.

Potter now looked extremely nervous. "I-I can… if you're sure…?"

She nodded and Harry told her to close her eyes and think about when they'd discovered his library.

"Are you ready Sam?" he asked. She nodded. "I'm going to touch your forehead and draw the memory out, then you can open your eyes, alright?"

Which is exactly what he did. Daniel watched as Harry's hands guided a glowing luminous strand from Sam's forehead and let it float down into the pensieve basin.

It swirled around and Harry tapped the bowl's edge twice. The white glowing liquid twisted up and then they were watching themselves get stuck together in the library. Then as Harry and Teal'c came in to rescue them. The 'memory' collapsed back into the bowl. Harry scooped it up and guided it back to Sam, where it vanished as soon as it touched her.

There was a moments silence and then Jack said, " Sure beats writing reports!"

They all looked at Harry who shifted from foot to foot. "What else do you want to look at down here?"

The Ancient section was filled with writings, which made Daniel ache to sit down with his translation notes and dive right in. _So much information!_ _Maybe even something about the Lost City!_

There was also a table totally filled with hundreds of crystals of all shapes, colors and sizes. Sam's eyes lit up with possibilities. Harry told her he'd found most of them in an Egyptian temple dedicated to Khonsu- the Moon God.

However it was the last section that intrigued Daniel the most, because he didn't recognize much that was in it. There were racks of clothing. Six long shimmering cloaks hung next to vests and pants made out of some scaly kind of leather. Except they came in colors not found in nature- reds, blues and greens.

"What are these Harry?" he asked. Potter looked like he'd rather move on.

"Cloaks, vests and trousers, Daniel," Harry finally said.

"Yes, but why are they down here?" asked Daniel.

"And what're they made out of?" asked Jack.

"I'd rather not go into that. Perhaps once we know each other better."

"What about things on this table? It all looks ordinary," said Sam reaching for a necklace with an hourglass pendant.

Harry moved so fast; he seemed to blur. Daniel blinked, maybe he needed to get his eyes checked.

Harry had caught Sam's hand before it touched the pendant. "It's better if you don't handle anything on this table."

"Why?" asked Sam startled.

"Because most of the items are cursed."

"And by that you mean… what?" asked Jack.

"Yah. Jewelry, books… How can they be… cursed," put in Daniel curiously.

Harry looked torn. "Uh… alright. Several of the rings are poisonous or carry poison. Same with the knives and sword. The opal necklace causes convulsions and eventual death if worn and the gold chain is programmed to slowly shorten until it strangles the wearer."

"Cursed enough for me," said Jack.

"And the books…?" asked Daniel. "Or this silver box?"

"The music box plays a rather hypnotic tune which causes people to sleep then the box expels a toxic gas. The books… Well, some contain dark rituals and practices. Human sacrifice and the like. Some are booby-trapped. One will cause blindness, one severe burns and another hallucinations… Do you want me to go on?" Harry asked.

"Ah… no. We get the picture," said Daniel.

"And this, Harry Potter?" asked Teal'c.

They turned to find him standing by a table filled with burning candles. Daniel briefly wondered how they could be burning when no one had come to this side of the room before. He was distracted after Potter went very white.

"Are you okay? Harry?" he asked.

"I-I'm fine," Potter answered in a shaky voice. He squared his shoulders and went to stand beside Teal'c. "These are the ones I lost to Voldemort, Teal'c."

He pointed to the different pictures, "My parents- Lily and James, my godfather- Sirius Black, my best friends- Ron and Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger, this is a picture of the rest of the Weasley family- they're all gone but Bill, Charlie and the twins. These others are some classmates and teachers who were killed."

"What are the items behind the pictures?" Teal'c asked.

Behind the moving photos were several damaged pieces: A broken locket, a ring with a cracked stone, a blackened, burnt quill-feather in a half-melted silver holder, a melted gold cup and a small book with a large hole lying next to the biggest tooth Daniel had ever seen. In the center was a bone-white wand that had been broken in half.

"Those were things that were… important to Voldemort," Harry said. He turned away from the shrine. "Dr. Jackson, Major Sam… If you want… You can each take one item up to the house for study." A shimmer of light flashed through the room. "But I need to get out of here for a while, alright?"

Sam immediately headed for the Asgard pensieve and Daniel scooped up some writings from the Ancient section. Harry led them back into the small transport room.

"So… what's the deal with this 'elevator' of yours, Potter?" asked Jack as the door shut behind them.

* * *

_**The Minister's Office**_

Minister Rufus Scrimgeour paced around his office. _His beautiful, impressive and marvelous office._ The one he'd worked so hard to enter. Had painstakingly planned and plotted and cheated and bribed and lied and… _Bloody hell! All his beautiful things… ruined. _It had taken his aides three days to get rid of that blasted swamp and clean everything off to his satisfaction. _And it still smelled like stagnant water!_

"I'm going to kill Potter myself, when I get my hands on him!" he snarled.

One of the aides knocked politely and he quickly put on his politician's mask as they entered. It was the freckly one, Angus… Something.

"Aurors Greene, Jacobson and Grevins are here as you requested sir".

"Thank you, Angus. Show them in please." The idiot aide smiled happily at having his name remembered by the great man.

"Yes sir. Of course sir!"

_Moron!_

Greene and the other two filed inside. They were still covered with small red welts from the flea fest bomb and scratched continuously. None of the healers could clear up the rash. _What a shame! The Idiots had better learn to duck next time!_

"Reporting as ordered sir," said Greene.

"Men. 'We' have some serious problems and if we don't do something about them soon… Well, let's just say I don't think that there are many first class rooms in Azkaban."

"Azkaban? Why'd we be going there?" asked Grevins blankly.

"For the cool sea air… Moron!" snapped Jacobson and smacked him on the back of the head.

"Be quiet, you two!" growled Greene. "And just how are 'We' going to solve all these problems Minister? The investigations are coming from all sides: The Aurors, the Press, Gringott's and the Wizengamot."

"By providing them with a scapegoat, of course! Someone who's responsible for all these terrible things... While their attention's

centered on him, we'll need to get rid of any evidence they have. Perhaps Obliviate a few people… Then we'll be in the clear." The Minister rubbed his hands together.

"And who's the poor bastard that's volunteered?" asked Greene.

"POTTER! You fool!" Scrimgeour snarled. "It's all going to depend on getting Potter! We've already laid the ground work… We get him, get a nice, clear confession and arrange for a quick Dementor's Kiss and our troubles are over. We'll just plant some 'evidence' and it's done."

"But no one can find him. He rarely comes out of hiding anyway. It's next to impossible to predict where he'll be!" said Greene.

"Then make it predictable!" yelled Scrimgeour. "Do I have to do everything for you? Catch that owl of his, send him a false message, stakeout the Weasley twins and his pet werewolf's place. Do whatever it takes! Because, Gentlemen... If I go down, I'm taking you all down with me. You'd better think long and hard about that and about getting a hold of Potter because it's our best chance out of this mess."

"So, we're authorized to use whatever force necessary sir?" asked Greene softly.

"Yes. Find whatever men you need and bring Potter to me in pieces if you have to… But get him!"

* * *

_**New Godric's Hollow**_

Jack had to admit, the kid could definitely keep a secret when he wanted to.

All Potter would say about his fancy 'elevator' was a rather cryptic sentence. Something about the plans being a 'gift' of the Ancients when he'd gotten through a series of 'tests'. However, he refused to say anymore or show them these 'plans' until he knew them better.

It drove Carter crazy and she spent the next 15 minutes trying to compare it to the ring transports used by the Gou'ald. Jack tried to listen but she lost him to technobabble about three sentences into her explanation.

The other chickens all deserted him: Daniel scurried off with his Ancient mumbo-jumbo writings, Potter said something about making tea and Teal'c joined him… the traitor.

Carter stopped when she realized her audience had left and glared at him. Then she muttered something about 'pearls before swine' and stalked off clutching her pen-see thing. He wondered what Carter could do with it, since from what they'd seen in the Vault, the thing needed Potter to operate.

Jack decided to follow Teal'c and Potter and see what the kid was whipping up. As a military man who had to put up with cafeteria food most of the time, these home-cooked meals of Potter's were great. Maybe if he took the General's job offer they could invite themselves over a couple of times a week.

Jack reached the kitchen to find Potter and that Dobby creature arguing over who should do the cooking. Teal'c was watching in silent amusement.

"Harry Potter sir be sitting down and be letting Dobby make tea sir!"

"I don't think so Dobby, not today. I need something to do with my hands today. Why don't you make us one of your fabulous deserts? Maybe those raspberry shortbread biscuits?"

The flattery seemed to work and the little creature backed off about doing the cooking and popped away. _This whole Dobby thing took some getting used to, _thought Jack.

Potter had just put the kettle on the stove when a tinny voice began calling his name- kind of like an answering machine except it was coming from Potter's shirt-pocket.

"I thought you said you didn't have a phone?" he asked.

"I don't," Potter answered absently and pulled out a small pocket-sized mirror.

"Mirror on. Remus Lupin," Potter said. "Hey Remus! What can I do for you?"

Jack moved around behind him and could see Lupin's face in the tiny mirror. It was moving and talking. Live video, he guessed.

"Harry, Thank goodness. I'm sorry to have to tell you this Harry, but it's Hedwig. She's very badly hurt."

"What?!!" Potter yelped.

"She's badly hurt," repeated Lupin. "Looks like someone was trying to shoot her down. She arrived only minutes ago. I'm surprised she made it this far. I'm so sorry Harry, but I don't think she'll make it." Lupin shook his head sadly.

"What?!- No! No, I'll be there momentarily," Potter said shakily. "Mirror off." He cut off Lupin's orders for him to stay there.

"I've got to go. Be back," Potter said as he shut the burner off and raced outside. Jack and Teal'c went after him.

Teal'c caught him by the arm just as he left the house shield (or whatever it was).

"Let go of me, Teal'c," Potter said tugging at his arm. "I don't have time for this."

"No matter what has occurred, Harry Potter. You should not go by yourself," Teal'c said.

"He's right Potter. Your friends seemed to think there were some serious unfriendlies out there who'd love to get their hands on you. I think you should let us tag along, okay?" Jack said. "How're you getting there anyway? Those pin things?"

"No. They're only useable once," Potter said more calmly. "Then they have to be reset. Alright, you can come. You're probably right. I was going to- to Apparate."

"Apparate? What's that?" Jack asked.

"A way to get there fast," Potter said. "You blokes got your weapons, just in case?"

Jack patted his sidearm and Zat. "Never leave home without it."

"You know, it's a bit disturbing knowing that you're running around my house armed to the teeth."

"Standard operating procedure in an unknown environment," said Jack. "Are we going?"

"Yeah. Just, each of you take a hold of my arms. Don't let go, this'll feel weird."

He wasn't kidding. Jack felt like he was being squeezed from all sides. There was a cracking sound and then they were somewhere else…

Instead of the rolling, grassy hills of Wales, they were standing in a forested area across the way from a small English cottage. _Okay, that's a bit disorienting, _Jack thought. _Just how the hell-_

Potter shook free of their hands and headed toward the cottage at a jog. Jack and Teal'c exchanged glances and took off after him.

"Potter, wait up," Jack called.

He'd no sooner said this than bolts of light came shooting in their direction. Most of them were aimed at Potter.

In spite of the total surprise, the kid managed to dodge two shots and somehow deflect four more. Jack and Teal'c had quickly gotten behind the cover of the trees but Potter was right out in the open.

Harry was returning fire to their left when two bolts struck him square in the back. One cut him open like a knife and the other blew him 15' feet into the side of the house. Harry fell to the ground and didn't move.

Their first real break since the ambush began was after Potter fell, the morons stopped firing and waltzed right out into the open just as Lupin came running from the house.

There were six yo-yos, all armed with those wand things. It was their last mistake in this fight. He and Teal'c opened up on them from one side and Lupin drew his wand and cut down the other two trying to escape.

The sudden silence was broken by Lupin. "Harry! Cub? Can you hear me? Where are you hurt? Harry?"

Potter was lying on his side by the house. His back was covered with blood and he was still bleeding pretty heavily. Lupin ripped off his shirt and wadded it up against the wound.

Harry's green eyes blinked open briefly, before closing again.

"Potter? Can you hear us?" Jack asked.

He mumbled something.

"What was that? I didn't catch it?"

"I s-said America is starting t-to s-sound pretty g-good, right about n-now," Potter stuttered out. "I-I'm c-cold."

He was shaking, probably from blood loss. "Hang in there, kid. We'll get you through this. Don't worry."

"H-Hedwig…" Harry's voice trailed off and he lapsed back into unconsciousness.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Chapter 13: I Hear It's Beautiful in Colorado**_

* * *

_**Lupin's House Near Sherwood**_

As Harry's face fell sideways, Lupin shook his head, "Harry, you stubborn, blockheaded prat. What _am_ I going to do with you?" Lupin gently brushed the hair off Harry's forehead.

Jack asked, "Will he be okay?"

Lupin checked the wound under his wadded up shirt. There was a long, deep cut from Harry's shoulder nearly to his waist. Lupin pressed the improvised pressure bandage back down and eased Harry onto his back to hold it in place.

"I think so… It's a nasty slice but it doesn't seem to have hit anything vital. I'm more concerned about him passing out like that," he said.

"Well, he did fly head-first into a wall," said Jack sarcastically. "Maybe his hard head objected."

Jack turned to check on the status of their attackers. Teal'c had dragged two more men out of the bushes and dumped them with the six they'd taken down. Potter must have gotten lucky. _Sheesh! Eight men to take down a boy. Talk about overkill._

Jack helped Teal'c confiscate their peashooters. They were all still unconscious, either from Zat' blasts or wand blasts. A couple were bleeding in spots but nothing serious. They tied their hands with some clothesline from Lupin's porch. Jack shot Teal'c a smile and a thumb's up. Teal'c bowed in response and said he would stand guard over the prisoners.

Jack turned back as Lupin hailed the house. "Polly? Could you come out here please? I need you to look at Harry."

A small, bright-eyed woman in an iridescent green cloak came out of the door carrying the owl Jack'd seen at Potter's place. It was considerably worse for wear. It's feathers were burnt in several spots and it's left wing and side were stained a pinkish-red from blood. The wing was immobilized somehow, although he couldn't see any bindings.

"I'm not a healer, Remus," the woman said, "Only an Owlist."

"I know that Polly," Lupin snapped. "However, you could probably close this cut and check him over until we can get a healer here."

"Alright! Alright! Of course I'll check him," she answered. "Here, you hold Hedwig. Mind her wing now, it's broken." She practically shoved the bird into Jack's arms.

"Ackk!" they both squawked.

He awkwardly juggled the owl and his Zat' gun into a more comfortable position. The bird just glared at him and then closed it's golden eyes. Jack watched as they turned Potter back on his side. The blood-soaked shirt was pulled off and the woman clucked at the size of the cut.

"Yes, I can close this. The sooner the better, he could bleed to death from such a wound," she said. Out came another peashooter. _Did all these people have them? Potter too? _The woman flicked the wand in an odd pattern above Potter's bleeding back and then drew the tip along the wound. It slowly closed, leaving nothing but an angry red line where the gash had been.

"Holy crap!" Jack said. _I'm definitely demanding some answers about these wands after this is over, _he thought.

"Have you never seen a healing before sir?" the woman asked.

"Nothin' quite like that ma'am."

"They're friends of Harry's, Polly," said Lupin, emphasizing friends strangely. "From America."

"Oh…" She said as if that explained everything.

"Friends with a lot of questions when he wakes up," said Jack.

"Yes, well…" Lupin said. First thing you need to know about Harry is that things rarely go as planned."

"Riight… Well, I'm Jack O'Neill ma'am and that's Teal'c Murray over there with the vermin."

"Pleasure to meet you sir. I'm Polly Streamertail," she said.

Lupin smiled, "Speaking of those vermin, we need to make sure they're arrested by the 'right' people. I'll call Tonks and she can round up Neville and Colin. Polly, could you get a blanket or two for Harry? He complained about being cold."

Lupin placed his call using a mirror device much like Potter's then helped Polly Streamertail wrap Potter in the blankets.

Harry woke as soon as they moved him. He looked blurrily around and said, "Whassup? Remus? Owww!"

At the sound of his voice, the owl, which had been quietly leaning against Jack with its eyes closed, became very agitated. Cheeping in distress, she moved awkwardly toward Potter and nearly fell off Jack's arm.

"Easy Harry. Don't move just yet," Lupin said. "You were hit in the back by a cutting curse. O'Neill, why don't you set Hedwig down by Harry here. They can keep each other company while we take care of our vermin problem."

Jack gingerly set the owl down near Potter's head. She hopped over to his face, mantled her good wing over him and nibbled on his hair.

Potter sighed and closed his eyes. "Hedwig's alright?" he asked.

"No, but she will be eventually," said Polly. "I've given Remus a list of care instructions. Her wing has a compound fracture and must remain immobile for a month. I did take care of the burns and cuts. She'll be weak and needs a strong Blood Replenisher in her water for the next week. She should be alright with care and you to look out for her." She smiled down at Harry who smiled back.

"Thank you, Ma'am."

"You're quite welcome young man," Polly said. "Remus has told me so many good things about you. Now, I need to be getting back to my office. I must say this is the most exciting house-call I've ever made. Take care, all of you. Remus, I'll see you at our next luncheon. Goodbye!"

There was a sharp **CRACK** and she was gone.

Harry chuckled weakly. "Remus? Do you even get _one_ word in at these luncheons?"

* * *

Auror Neville Longbottom arrived outside Professor Lupin's house with his wand out. He checked the immediate area for threats as the rest of his party Apparated into view. This included Tonks, his supervisor Archibald Croaker, a healer named Micklewood and his partner Colin Creevey, who's deafening **CRACK **had the others rubbing their ears. _It probably scared off any wildlife within half a mile, _Nev mused.

The situation looked under control. Mr. Murray was guarding a pile of prisoners while Professor Lupin and Mr. O'Neill were watching over Harry. Harry himself, was on the ground bundled up in several blankets. He looked like he'd be alright since he was currently arguing with that crazy elf of his.

Nev joined Colin in securing the unconscious prisoners. They quickly placed magical binders on their wrists and checked for escape Portkeys or other hidden weapons. Mr. Murray had confiscated their wands and he turned them over to Colin. The wands would have to be checked for spell history and identification signatures. Although, he already recognized several of them.

Colin created a Portkey out of the rest of the clothesline. Nev assisted him as they wrapped it around their prisoners. Nev stepped back as the Portkey whisked them away to a safe house for interrogation.

Satisfied, Neville joined Croaker and Tonks. They were questioning Lupin and the Muggles. _I bet Croaker's unhappy about that! _He thought. _Nothing like Muggles rescuing Harry Potter from other wizards._

"… That's when they cut Potter down," O'Neill was saying. "Then they broke from the cover of the trees and were caught in the open between Lupin and us. We took them out."

"And these… weapons of your? They fire a… Stunner made of energy?" asked Croaker. He looked disturbed. "Since when can Muggles produce such a weapon?"

"Oh- You'll find we're full of surprises," drawled O'Neill. "Especially against those who underestimate us."

Nev broke in before Croaker could bite his head off. "Uh- sir? The prisoners are being taken to the Unicorn Safe-House for interrogation. So far, barring Polyjuice, their identities are confirmed as: 4 Aurors- Ferris, Grevins, Jones and Underwood. 2 Obliviators- McGee and Wilkins. 1 Unknown and a former Ministry employee named Greengrass. He was sacked because his prisoners kept dying under mysterious circumstances."

"Have any of them said anything?" asked Croaker.

"No sir. Not yet. Most are still unconscious."

Croaker eyed Neville and then the Muggles and Lupin for a moment. "Alright, good job. All of you." He nodded at O'Neill and Murray. "Perhaps we do underestimate a few people." He looked at Neville who gulped. "Auror Headquarters has been cleaning up evidence of that for a while now."

His face hardened. "If these jokers talk, Minister Scumgrabber is going to be facing a world of hurt. Tell Mr. Potter that his contributions towards this investigation have caused Madam Bones to quash the Warrant for his arrest. Potter's still going to have to be careful until Scumgrabber's is totally gone… but I think it's safe to say that the Minister's taking some major hits. The investigations are only just begun and this latest stunt should provide some more fuel for the Scumgrabber fire."

Croaker glanced over to where Harry had been lying. He was now sitting against the house arguing with both Dobby _and_ the healer. Croaker snorted in amusement. "Looks like Potter'll be alright. Tell Micklewood I want a report on what physical injuries he sustained on my desk as soon as possible."

Croaker started to walk away but stopped. "Oh- and if Potter's planning a stateside holiday, tell him not to leave by way of Heathrow or Gatwick… Too many eyes there." With a final nod, Archibald Croaker DisApparated.

"That guy reminds me of a drill sergeant I had for Basic. We used to say he could chew iron and spit bullets," said O'Neill. "Tough son of a bitch."

"Indeed," agreed Murray. "Not a man easily fooled."

"Yeah, Archibald's not someone you'd want to mess with… and he's no friend of our Mr. Scrimgeour either."

"I got that," O'Neill said.

"We should get Harry back to his house as soon as possible," Professor Lupin said from where he was standing with his arm around Tonks' waist. _It was such a shame that the Ministry werewolf laws prevented their marriage,_ thought Neville.

"Remus is right," Tonks said. "More of Scrimgeour's goons could show up. Greene and Jacobson weren't with those blokes."

"BLOODY HELL! Would you stop? I'm fine!" The bellow came from Harry who was glaring at the Healer Micklewood. He was cradling Hedwig in his arms like some kind of blood-stained teddy.

"Mr. Potter! Please- You _must_ lie back down! You have _serious _injuries and are in no condition to be- " babbled the healer.

Harry, as usual, totally ignored him and batted away the healer's hand. "What rubbish! I'm fine. It's just a scratch and a bump on the head. Dobby, stop arguing and protect me from this idiot!"

The healer's "Really!" was followed by Dobby putting his hands on his hips. "Its be more likes Dobby protecting idiot from Harry Potter sir."

Harry waved his free hand. "Whatever."

"A concussion is nothing to fool with, young man," the healer said primly. He sounded rather offended.

"I've had them before," Harry said. "I just need some Anti-Swelling Solution and a Blood Replenisher. I'll be back to normal in no time."

Nev snickered, "How normal is that, Harry?"

"What's the problem here, Harry?" asked Remus.

"That idiot's the problem, Remus," Harry answered.

"Mr. Harry Potter sir is being difficult, Mr. Mooney sir," said Dobby.

"I have the potions here, Mr. Lupin. Along with a pain potion for his head," said Micklewood.

"My head is fine," said Harry. "I'd rather take my own potions, thanks. I'd really prefer not to be poisoned today as well."

"Really- Mr. Potter!"

"Harry," said Remus. "You need to take the potions so we can get you out of here."

"He's right, Harry," said Tonks. "You never know… more of those gits might show up."

"I believe it is best that we depart from this place as soon as possible, Harry Potter," said Murray.

"I'm with them," put in Jack.

"Fine! But only if we ditch the idiot and Remus agrees to stay with me or Tonks afterwards," said Harry. He grabbed the three vials from Micklewood who stormed off, totally offended. Harry made a horrible face at the taste. "Blech! Mine's better. I mean it Remus. They had your place staked out. It's not safe here. Nev, could you warn Bill Weasley and the twins to be careful?"

"Of course, Harry," said Neville.

"You and Colin and Tonks need to be careful too, alright?"

"We'll be fine, Harry. You're the one we're worried about," said Tonks affectionately.

"Well, don't. How are we getting home anyways? I-I really don't think I can Apparate the way my head's thumping." Harry stood up rather shakily. Dobby grabbed Hedwig before he dropped her. Remus grabbed a hold of Harry before he fell.

"You most certainly will NOT be Apparating yourself!" said Remus. "I'll take you. Dobby, take Hedwig and be very careful. She's got a broken wing. Harry's only got a broken head." With a **CRACK **and a **POP,** they were gone.

Tonks grabbed O'Neill, which was how Neville found himself trying to side-along with Murray, the man of steel. At least it felt like it. He certainly weighed a ton. It took three jumps to get him back to Wales and Neville was absolutely convinced that he'd damaged something in his back.

* * *

_**New Godric's Hollow**_

Lupin and Dobby carted Potter off to his room. He protested the entire way that he was 'fine' but he went.

While they were occupied, Jack and Teal'c grabbed Carter and Daniel for a conference. Jack brought them up to speed about the attack on Potter and what he'd seen at Lupin's house.

"There's something odd about these 'wands'," said Jack. "Potter implied they were weapons used by an elite police-force, but I've seen three civilians with them so far: Lupin and two 'Healers'. I've never actually seen Potter with one but that wouldn't surprise me either. What about you guys?"

Carter looked thoughtful. "If civilians have these 'weapons', it would explain why there _is_ such a police-force sir."

"Officers of law would have to be armed as well or better than those they are trying to apprehend, O'Neill," said Teal'c.

"That implies…" Daniel said slowly. "That there are a lot of people with wands, possibly an entire community. With a police-force to control the rougher elements and a Ministry…"

"…And a Ministry to govern it," said Carter.

"That's… big," said Jack. The others nodded.

Jack jerked his thoughts away from an unknown army of people wielding peashooters and back to his original point. "Back to the 'wands'… They're far more versatile than a normal weapon. They've got to have different settings. So far, I've seen them stun people, slice them open like a knife, blast them into a wall, blow plaster and wood to smithereens. And then heal muscle and skin closed like a zipper. Did I miss anything?"

"_Silencio…" _Daniel said quietly.

"What?" asked Jack.

"In the hotel lobby… Greene said _Silencio _meaning 'Silence' and then I couldn't talk for several hours. Until Scrimgeour said _'Finite Incantatum' _meaning 'End Spell'. It's Latin."

"Spell as in Hocus Pocus?" asked Jack.

"That's ridiculous sir," Carter said practically. "More than likely it means that these wands use a vocal command to change settings. As a down side, that could increase the number of settings available."

"In other words…" said Jack. "You could program it with as many command 'spells' as it will hold. They might even be customized. It would explain the healing 'spell' and why she didn't join the fight."

"Exactly sir. Although, we won't be able to tell for sure unless we could get our hands on one for testing," said Carter.

"Okay, one mystery solved. What about Potter? Didn't he admit that this Ministry guy was after him because he _didn't_ have a wand?" asked Jack.

"I believe Harry Potter suggested that he could defend himself against these weapons without using one himself," said Teal'c.

"I saw him stun Scrimgeour's secretary with a red bolt of light," admitted Carter. "It came from his hand, not a wand. And at the hotel, he somehow stopped the wand blasts from reaching us."

"Could he somehow have implanted the technology?" asked Daniel.

"I don't know. I suppose it's possible," she said. "I'll have Janet check during his physical."

"Anything else?" asked Jack.

"His enlarged storage unit and computer device," suggested Teal'c.

"I'd say that they, along with those portpins and that communication mirror are all bits of alien technology that Harry found and adapted to his needs," said Carter. "The only one I can't figure out is the Asgard Pensieve device. Harry made it look so easy… but I couldn't even figure out how he switched it on."

"And this Apparition?" asked Teal'c.

"It was probably another device that you didn't see or maybe it's another setting on these wands… You said it was uncomfortable…?"

"Yes, particularly with Neville Longbottom," Teal'c said.

"It could be the reason Potter started using the Portypins," smirked Jack. "Well, it's good to have this hammered out. Carter, could you write up the report for the General on this since you understand it best?"

"Of course sir."

* * *

Harry spent the next three days frustrated and annoyed. He was constantly dodging houseguests who all seemed determined that he follow that idiot healer's instructions.

_GUIDE FOR COMPLETE RECOVERY FROM CONCUSSION, indeed! The man was mental!_

Dobby and Remus in particular were hard to get around. It was getting to the point where he couldn't make himself a cup of tea without someone jumping in to take over.

_I'll just have to put my foot down,_ he thought. _It's not like I don't know what 'Take it easy' means: No duels to the death. No marathons or operating heavy machinery, avoid any more ambushes by the Ministry morons. Oh- and don't throw myself headfirst into solid brick walls. That aught to cover it._

He honestly felt fine, except for some thumping headaches that first day or so… But try and tell his minders that!

Hedwig was ensconced in the frontroom near Harry. He'd had Remus lower her perch so that it was the same level as the back of the sofa. She couldn't fly with her immobilized wing but she soon recovered enough to hop about awkwardly using her good wing for balance.

As was only proper, Harry insisted that she be treated like the Queen she was. He had Dobby waiting on her hand and foot- er, make that wing and talon. The best bits of bacon and sausage and even a live mouse for dinner. Remus insisted that it be stunned; Both, because of the terrified squeaking (Apparently the mouse objected to being dinner) and because Hedwig wasn't fast or strong enough to chase down her objecting meal. Harry figured Remus must be the squeamish one.

Jack O'Neill had joked the day before about Hedwig eating so much she soon wouldn't be able to get off the ground without a crane. The owl had turned her back and stuck her beak in the air, mortally offended. It had taken Harry nearly an hour to talk her out of her snit.

The next morning, O'Neill discovered bird droppings in his boots the hard way.

Harry never could figure out how the flightless owl had gotten in and out of the Castle Bedroom without discovery. Unless she'd paid someone to do it for her. _Clever Bird!_

The only good thing about this whole mess… (He still couldn't believe he'd let himself be taken out so fast. Obviously, he'd let himself get far too rusty.) …Was that he'd gotten the chance for a serious talk with Remus about this holiday in the States. He'd told him everything… (well, nearly everything!) Surprisingly enough, Remus had thought he should go.

_**Flashback**_

"So… What do you think about this trip Remus?"

The werewolf had sat there in silence for most of his explanation. He'd looked shocked several times and asked a few questions but for the most part didn't interrupt. Now, he seemed thoughtful.

"Well?!"

"I think you should go, cub," he said simply.

"You do?"

"Yes, I do. Look, Harry… When you first found Merlin's Library… Why did you make the choice to go and learn all you could… Simply to try to find a way to defeat Voldemort?" Remus asked.

"Well… because I was fifteen and had just heard a prophecy saying I was the only one who could stop him. It seemed like my best chance to beat him and maybe come out of it alive. I knew that Voldemort would never stop coming after me until one of us was dead."

"Yes, but why was stopping Voldemort worth any risk, Harry?"

"Because… what he was doing was wrong. Trying to take over the world… Killing and torturing those who didn't agree with him… Enslaving everyone who couldn't fight back… Using his army to enforce his own twisted version of reality… It was wrong. People shouldn't have to live like that."

"Exactly. Now, think about what you just told me about these Gou'alds. Aren't they acting the same way as Voldemort… Only on a larger scale?"

"And so you think I should go? Even join them if they ask?" Harry said.

"I think you should investigate what's going on. It's our world too," Remus said. "As for joining them… It sounds right up your alley Harry. You thrive on a challenge. Listening to what you've been up to for the past several years… It's enough to give me gray hair before my time. I'm not sure I'd want to think about what sort of mischief you'd get up to on a galactic scale."

"Remus, you already have gray hair before your time…" Harry said dryly.

"Well then, a few more won't matter, now will they cub?" Remus grinned. "Seriously though Harry, ever since Voldemort was defeated and your friends were killed, you've isolated yourself from the world. You have your studies and your little artifact adventures. You have a few close friends but you rarely see them and you don't let anyone else get too close. You've dug yourself a comfortable, safe, little rut here and you're stagnating."

"I'm not a swamp, Remus," Harry said.

"Well, you haven't showered in 3 days either," Remus smirked.

Harry stuck his tongue out at him. "That's only because I'm scared Dobby'll follow me in there and try to wash my back or something."

Remus chuckled.

"Stagnating, eh?"

"Only figuratively speaking cub. I think you need something new. Something challenging. I can't think of anything _more_ challenging than fighting galactic villains and discovering new worlds, can you?"

Harry snorted. "I doubt they'll even let me see the Stargate, let alone use it Remus."

"Oh no cub. I think that's exactly what this visit is about. You're a little too much like a live, stray firework to an organization like the Muggle military. They'd rather draw you in where they can keep an eye on you." Remus snickered, "Little do they realize what they're pulling in."

Harry rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. You make me sound like some sort of bomb. Speaking of which, what do I tell them about magic? They've already seen more than they should have and probably have guessed even more. I know I'll bollucks it up sooner or later and give the game away. Do you think I should just tell them? Obliviate them? Somewhere in the middle?"

Remus sighed, "Actually, they've seen more than you know, Harry. Polly used a healing spell on your back right in front of O'Neill and I came out of the house shooting curses."

Harry winced. "Well, they've seen wands firing spells before. I kind of implied that they were weapons. So that shouldn't have surprised them that much, but the healing… that could be tricky…"

Remus shrugged, "Wait and see what they come up with, I guess. I think these Muggles could handle full disclosure. They've seen a lot of strange things and they smell alright. You might want to wait until you meet this General Hammond. He's the one who'll decide what to do with the information."

"Alright, Remus. I'll wait and see about magic."

_**End Flashback**_

Harry sighed and slipped off to his office. If he couldn't go for his morning run or work in his own lab or library (Jackson and Carter seemed to have taken them over) then he'd finish tying up some loose ends.

There were several letters he needed to write and more transcripts to print out. Harry had been a bit embarrassed to discover the conversation where the Minister had ordered Greene to stakeout his friends and even make a grab for Hedwig. He felt like a fool for not even thinking to check before running straight into an ambush. Good thing O'Neill and Teal'c had insisted on coming along.

Scrimgeour's current rants were getting more and more panicked as he struggled to deny the allegations of corruption and misuse of funds and resources. The evidence was mounting against him. Rita Skeeter had interviewed several former department heads as well as political rivals who had gone up against Scrimgeour. New allegations had cropped up concerning election tampering; including blackmail, bribery and coercion. The Minister had announced he was holding a press conference on Saturday morning to personally answer these horrible and baseless accusations.

Harry promptly sent off a request to Fred and George. It should be an interesting Saturday… Pity he couldn't be there to see it.

"Dobby!" he called.

The elf arrived with a soft **POP! **"Yes? Harry Potter sir?"

"Dobby, I need you to run a couple of errands for me on Saturday morning before you come to the States. Alright?"

"Of course sirs."

"Good. Now, here's what I want you to do…"

* * *

Jack set his fishing rod against the wall before climbing the stairs to Potter's deck. Teal'c was settled into a comfortable chair overlooking the valley. He was reading a book on meditation that Harry'd given him.

Jack grabbed a Guinness from out of the cooling cupboard and twisted the top free. He knocked back a long swallow before plopping into the chair across from Teal'c. Idly wondering when Dobby would be serving lunch, he flicked the bottle-top towards the trashcan. It bounced off the wall and landed square inside.

"Hah! Two Points!"

Teal'c gave him an amused look and went back to reading.

It had mostly been a nice relaxing second week in England, but Jack was glad they'd be headed home tomorrow. Potter had agreed to try out the scenery around Colorado Springs for two weeks, so that plan was working out. He'd just leave it to the General and the eggheads like Daniel to talk Potter into staying in the US. That shouldn't be too hard. The kid had a natural curiosity about anything and everything. Jack figured they'd just have to show him the Gate and he'd be hooked.

His team had all taken advantage of their unexpected vacation. Although, why Daniel and Carter thought burying themselves in a library or lab was a vacation still escaped him. The two of them had pestered Potter into letting them check out more items from his Vault. Potter stood by his 'one item at a time' rule and therefore had to make more trips. Yesterday, Jack'd overheard him muttering about running a lending library.

Today, Carter was happily experimenting on something she thought might be the Ancient's crystalline version of a battery. Given that Potter had only basic lab equipment, Sam was limited in what she could do. She was mainly going through the unidentified items in the vault and trying to narrow down what they could be. Her lists were growing and she was already planning how to convince Potter to let her study several pieces in depth.

Daniel rarely surfaced from the library and had to be dragged out for meals. Between searching through Potter's extensive book collection and translating Ancient writings from the Vault, his notes were reaching alarming proportions. Jack only hoped the plane could lift off the ground, considering the ton of paperwork they were carting back.

_Speak of the devil- er, Daniel…_ Jack looked up to find him sliding the glass kitchen door shut and coming out onto the deck.

One glance and Jack could tell Daniel thought he'd found something. He had that alarming 'you're going to find this fascinating' look that made Jack want to leave the room. It usually involved a long lecture about something Jack found sleep inducing.

Jack quickly saved his beer as Daniel plunked an untidy pile of papers and books down on the table. Teal'c glanced up from his book.

"Jack! You'll never guess what I found!" Daniel smiled expectantly.

"A… book?" Jack suggested.

"Um… Yeah. But that's not what's so fascinating," Daniel said enthusiastically. "And it was just stuffed in with the other handwritten journals in Potter's biographical section. He's got some rare and priceless works stored in there. First editions and copies of ancient writings I'd thought didn't even exist. Some are so old… but their condition is incredible! Some of the pages look like they've been meticulously pieced back together… I'd love to meet his restorer and- "

"Daniel!"

"Huh? Oh, right. Never mind. Where was I?"

"You found something?" asked Jack.

"Oh! Yeah, here look at this!" Daniel carefully opened a rather battered, leather-bound, handwritten journal. It was filled with small sketches of plants and animals, along with neatly written blurbs of text in some foreign language.

"So?" he said. "Somebody could draw…"

"Yes- I think it's a travel journal and sketchbook. The drawings are mainly things they saw along the way but that's not what caught my eye…" Daniel flipped through to a particular page and turned it towards Jack.

"Do you recognize these?"

The page held six drawing: 4 animals- a fish, an eagle, a goat, and a crab. 1 person- an archer and a set of balanced scales. They were finely and stylistically drawn and had a series of random dots on them.

Jack shook his head. "Not really… Are they supposed to?"

Daniel grabbed a scrap piece of paper and wrote on it.

Pisces- The Fish

Aquila- The Eagle

Capricorn- The Goat

Cancer- The Crab

Sagittarius- The Archer

Libra- The Scales

"What about now?"

Jack looked at the list and looked at Daniel. "Constellations?"

"Not just constellations… Six constellations."

"Six constellations and a point of origin equals a possible Gate address, Daniel Jackson," said Teal'c.

"Exactly."

"Are you saying this book contains Gate addresses disguised as drawings?" asked Jack.

Daniel nodded, "And that's not all- " He flipped back to the beginning. The first page held another six drawings with a paragraph of text at the bottom. "I'm pretty sure that this address is to P3R-272."

"The one where- "

"The one with the Repository of Knowledge, yeah." Daniel flipped forward to another set. "And I'd have to check, but I think this one may be to Ernest's Planet, P3X-972. I've counted and if I'm right there are 42 Gate addresses in this book."

"What about the writings, Daniel Jackson?" asked Teal'c. "Have you been able to decipher them?"

"No, not yet. That'll take some more work. If my hunch is right, it could be like a hieratic form of Ancient. In which case, these 42 addresses could be _very_ important. I'm going to ask Potter if I can borrow this book and bring it back to America."

"You think he'll go for that?" asked Jack.

"I don't know… but it can't hurt to ask."

* * *

_**Traveling**_

Harry decided that traveling by commercial airplane had to be the most boring and inconvenient method of flight ever invented. He much preferred broomstick or even Camelot's small ship when it came to flying.

It had been an incredibly long day. They'd left Cardiff International that morning at seven and had been on route to Colorado for 12 straight hours, including a two hour layover in New York that turned into three due to some heavy weather over the eastern seaboard. By the time they touched down in Denver, Harry was more than ready to get off the plane.

It was only early afternoon in Colorado and the sun was shining in a big, blue sky. Harry couldn't help but compare it to the hazy sunlight of Wales. He figured the first thing to invest in was some Sunblock.

The team had lunch before heading south towards Colorado Springs in Sam's SUV. The vehicle wound its way down I25, out of the suburbs and through a wide valley of grass and sagebrush. The Rocky Mountains framed the western sky in the distance and only the occasional cow or antelope dotted the landscape.

Harry nodded off for a bit while watching the scenery stream by and the long day caught up with him. He woke as they turned onto a smaller highway and passed the US Air Force Academy.

The SUV turned down a road leading up into the foothills and finally through some heavily guarded gates into an enormous entrance tunnel carved into the rock. They drove through another check-point and into the mountain. As the bright sunlight was replaced by cool artificial lights, Sam maneuvered into a lot marked 'Reserved' and parked the SUV across from the entrance to the underground complex.

"Welcome to Cheyenne Mountain, Harry Potter," Teal'c said softly.

* * *

_**The Ministry, England**_

Minister Rufus Scrimgeour focused intently on tying the perfect knot in his neck-cloth and then straightened the edge slightly.

"Perfect."

"Oh- you look quite dashing, Mr. Minister!" gushed his mirror.

"Of course, of course," the Minister said. He was standing in his office loo putting the final touches on his toilet. He'd washed and shaved with his special rose water brought in by the house elves. It was good for the complexion. It wouldn't do to look pale before the cameras. _Everything had to go perfectly today._

Like any soldier going off to battle, he wanted to look his best this morning.

There was a knock at the door. "Minister? It's almost time… We need to head over to Diagon Alley soon."

"Yes, yes… I'm nearly ready. Come here and help me with my coat." The aide held it up and Scrimgeour shrugged into the tight jacket. He added his cloak, hat and lion-headed cane and he was set.

The Minister struck an impressive pose. "How do I look?"

The aide was about to answer when a loud 'Ribbit!' broke the silence of the opulent office. The Minister's expression changed to one of rage. "I thought I told you people to get rid of that frog!" he snarled.

"Well, we tried sir…"

"Never mind your bumbling excuses… just get it done." He brushed the man aside. "I need to leave."

He swept into the outer office to find his staff waiting, including Aurors Greene and Jacobson as his bodyguards. Morgans held their Portkey up and they soon arrived in Diagon Alley.

A platform with a podium had been conjured for this special occasion and flags were posted around the square across from Gringotts Bank. Crowds of witches and wizards were shopping as well as waiting for the Minister's arrival. The reporters and photographers were set up down front to capture his speech and ask their foolish questions. _People should really just leave politics in the hands of those of us who understand these things._

Before mounting the platform, Scrimgeour turned to Greene, " Did you give our people my instructions? Are they in place?"

"Yes sir," Greene whispered back. "Cheering charms all around. Then _Confundus_ charms with _Imperio_ and _Obliviate_ used only as a last resort. Especially the reporters. Don't worry sir, everything's under control."

"We'll see, Greene. We'll see."

The Minister smiled widely at the crowd as he was introduced by an aide. He ascended the platform and took his place behind the podium. The noise level rose and he held up his hands until it quieted down again.

"_Sonorus. _Uh-Umm… My fellow witches and wizards… It is a pleasure to once again stand before you as your Minister. I worked long and hard to attain this noble and distinguished office. I desire nothing more than to lead our great magical nation into the future.

As a Pureblood family of long standing, my ancestors had long felt it their duty to serve the magical community in positions of government, both at the Ministry and in the Wizengamot. The world of Magic has always been my home and I would never endanger it by risking its exposure to the Muggle world." There was a small buzz near his nose. The Minister casually brushed the fly away and continued.

"There have been allegations made and an investigation started by the Wizengamot because of the actions of several Ministry employees. But I assure you all… Neither I nor my Aurors have done anything underhanded or illegal." There was another buzz near his face and he swatted at the fly. Things were going quite well. The people seemed to all be paying attention, the reporter's quills were taking notes and the cameras were clicking.

"I have always strived to serve this community to the best of my abilities." Another buzz. The crowd began to whisper, "And I hope to continue long after this day is but a memory."

"These accusations are nothing more than baseless slander." He paused at a louder buzz and cast a Bug Repelling charm. They were created by Harry Potter and others who are simply trying… to discredit… me…" Scrimgeour's speech trickled off as his nose grew another two inches. The crowd was now pointing and snickering.

"Silence! I will not allow Laughing!" the Minister's voice grew increasingly nasal as his nose grew even larger. The audience was now roaring. The press was still scribbling and clicking. His people in the crowd were rapidly losing control. Confundus spells were being flung about like confetti until a jostled arm revealed the culprit. The Auror in question was punched in the nose by an irate wizard and was knocked back into several more. The press conference soon descended into a total free-for-all, highlighted by the Minister's hysterical shrieks as he tried to talk and hide his ever-growing nose.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Chapter 14: Welcome to the SGC**_

* * *

_**Cheyenne Mountain Complex**_

The phone rang in an office on the 27th Level of Cheyenne Mountain.

"This is Hammond."

"Yes sir. This is Devlin sir, from surface security… You asked to be informed when SG1 arrived."

"I take it they have?" Hammond asked.

"Yes sir. SG1 and a guest just passed through the first red checkpoint and will be descending to Level 17 shortly. ETA 15 minutes, sir."

"Thank you, Sergeant Devlin. I'm on my way up there now." General George Hammond hung up the phone and left his office. After collecting a couple of SFs to keep an eye on the upcoming meeting (It always paid to be prepared) he grabbed an elevator to Level 17 and the negotiating room.

He probably had at least 5 minutes to wait before their arrival. He spent it considering what he knew about this young man. He had a brilliant academic mind. According to O'Neill he had organized the rescue of Daniel Jackson from this 'Ministry'. He was knowledgeable about alien artifacts and had access to an underground vault containing hundreds, if not thousands of pieces of alien technology. He had a small alien-like companion and lived in a cloaked home in Wales that couldn't even be seen unless he personally told you it's location.

Hammond snorted to himself. _I hate mysteries- always have. And this whole situation was shaping up to be a complex one. Not to mention a security nightmare._

A brief knock, "They're here sir."

Hammond stood and faced the door as SG1 came inside. The team walked across the room with O'Neill in the lead, Jackson and Carter on either side of him and Potter and Teal'c at the rear. It was a formation that strikingly reminded the General of units coming back from patrols in 'Nam. _Interesting, _he thought.

"Hey, sir. Did you miss us?" asked Jack O'Neill with a cocky grin.

"No. It's been very… quiet around here, Colonel," Hammond said.

"That's good to hear sir. We wouldn't want anything exciting to happen without us," O'Neill quipped. He gestured behind him. "General, I'd like to introduce Harry Potter. Potter, this is General George Hammond, the CO of Stargate Command."

Potter was a thin, leanly muscled young man with alert, intelligent green eyes and a confident walk. He'd glanced around the room, noting the guards' positions at the doors before stepping forward.

"How do you do sir?" he said quietly.

"It's good to finally meet you Dr. Potter," Hammond said, shaking his hand.

Potter looked blankly at him and then flushed. "Uh… No one ever calls me that… Just Harry…or Potter if you prefer."

"All right son. Potter then." He gestured towards the table. "Why don't we all have a seat?"

After they'd found their seats, he got down to business. "Colonel O'Neill tells me you're a hard man to track down."

"I like my privacy, General. I've had trouble before when the… wrong sorts tried to 'track me down'."

"I'm glad you decided my people were the 'right sorts'. I understand your home is under some sort of cloaking device. You probably could have hidden indefinitely… Why didn't you?"

"I considered it sir. In fact I kept an eye on them for almost a week before I decided to meet them." Potter grinned at O'Neill who looked disgruntled. "I thought it would be a waste of their time and mine not to at least ask them why they wanted to speak with me?"

"What about retrieving Dr. Jackson? I understand you were attacked just after you met them. O'Neill said you provided valuable intel and a plan to get in and out. Why did you help them?"

The boy's eyes fell and a touch of color entered his cheeks. "It was my fault the Aurors were after them, so it was my responsibility to get him back." He shrugged.

"That simple?"

"That simple."

"All right, but I don't think you should blame yourself for the actions of others, Son. I'd like to personally thank you for your assistance in rescuing Dr. Jackson. Without your help we might never have gotten him back."

The redness increased but he looked up. "That's not necessary General. I honestly don't think they would have killed him. There was probably more danger in what he could have told them under the truth serum."

Jackson shook his head. "I think it _was_ that serious Harry. They kept talking about how to 'dispose' of me. So, thank you."

Potter's eyes hardened. "Then I'm seriously glad Scrimgeour's going down. Could you write out what happened to you Daniel? I'll send it to Neville and Tonks. They can get it to those in charge of the investigation. It'll be another good-sized nail the Minister's coffin."

Jackson nodded. "Of course."

"Good," Potter said, looking satisfied.

"I must say… I've heard a lot about you these past few weeks, Dr. Potter," Hammond said.

Potter's eyes glanced sideways at O'Neill. "Yeah… the Colonel's nightly phone conversations, I know." O'Neill tried looking innocent. "Although, I'm not sure what he found so fascinating. My life's quite boring… most of the time."

"Boring?!" echoed Jackson and Carter.

"Which part?" asked O'Neill. "The one where people shoot at you?"

"Ambushes? Slanderous news articles?" put in Carter.

"Well, normally I don't have to go about rescuing groups of Yanks who are poking their beaks into all the wrong holes looking for me," Potter said virtuously.

While O'Neill was sputtering about 'Not needing to be rescued', Hammond thought it was a good time to rein in the banter.

"People!" he barked. They all looked at him, innocently attentive.

_To think I wondered __why__ my CO gave me a large bottle of aspirin with my General's stars back when I was promoted._ "Back on topic- Harry Potter, my most serious concern is for the security of this base and what we do here. This is a top-secret program and is classified under Section 11-C-9 of the National Security Act. So I ask you… How did you learn of the Stargate Program?"

"Potter's face turned serious. "As I told the others, General Hammond, I _didn't_ know about your program until I overheard their conversation in Honduras last month. Then I did some digging and some deductive reasoning about the information I found and what was conveniently missing. Much like what your people did about me, I suspect."

"And your conclusions… Dr. Potter?" asked Hammond.

"That someone went to a great deal of trouble to hide any information about the 1928 Langford Expedition and all it's key members. This includes Dr. Katherine Langford, who's records started disappearing in the late '80s and Dr. Daniel Jackson's in the mid '90s. Colonel O'Neill and Special Agent Burke were harder to track down as their careers were mostly classified but there were a few things… I'm sorry about your son, Colonel."

"You went snooping around in our personal lives?" snapped O'Neill.

"Colonel- _You_ came to England looking for me. You interviewed anyone you could find who's so much as offered me tea. You took samples of my personal medical supplies and ransacked my library and vault. You even searched my house without permission. Why are you upset that I took the time to look up public information about the people staying in my home?" Potter asked.

"He's got a definite point there, Jack," said Jackson.

"I know," grumbled O'Neill. "But I don't have to like it."

"Just ignore him Harry," advised Jackson. "He's always grumpy when he doesn't have enough to eat."

"Moving right along…" Hammond deftly steered the conversation back online. "What about Stargate itself? I understand you first heard about it from a man named Moros? Is that correct?"

"Yeah. The Stargates were mentioned in passing when we first met and then later when I began my studies at Uni. He helped a lot when I started my search for alien artifacts."

"Do you know if he ever told anyone else?" Hammond asked. "Or where he got the information?"

"I don't believe so… He was rather… solitary," Potter said. "I'm afraid I can't say how he learned of it…"

"All right… I'm satisfied for now. You'll need to sign several forms and then I'll have someone show you to your quarters. You can get settled in… and perhaps in an hour Dr. Jackson will be free to show you around the base, all right?"

"That's fine sir."

"The rest of you… We'll start your debriefing downstairs in five minutes. Dismissed."

* * *

Harry followed the soldier in fatigues down the gray, concrete corridor. They stopped at the elevator and the soldier pushed the button.

"Um… I suppose that we weren't properly introduced before…" The man turned to look at him but didn't answer. "I'm Harry Potter, by the way."

The soldier glanced down at his out-stretched hand but kept his own on the weapon he carried. "I'm on duty sir."

Harry dropped his hand. "Oh- Sorry. But you do have a name, right? What's with the sir business? I'm not military."

The man's eyes turned amused as the elevator dinged. "No… I can see that sir, but you are a doctor from what I heard back there."

"It's just a piece of paper at the end of the day, eh?" Harry shrugged as they stepped inside and the doors closed. "So- what do I call you? Captain? General? Hey You?"

"Senior Airman Brad Davis sir."

"I stand corrected Senior Airman Brad Davis sir, although that's kind of long. However, _you_ are going to have to call me Harry or Potter. Otherwise I'll probably never answer."

The man cracked a small smile. "Just Airman Davis or Davis, Potter."

"No problem Davis," Harry said. He watched as the number on the wall counted down to Level 25. "This sure is one hell of a rabbit hole you've got here. Just how many Levels are in this place anyways?"

"I'm afraid that's classified Potter," Davis said as they left the elevator and turned left.

"I'm getting a tour in an hour, Davis, somehow I doubt it'll be top-secret very long," he said dryly.

"That's not my call sir," the Airman said formally. He led the way down another hallway with green and white stripes on the floor and ceiling pipes.

"Alright, that's fine." They had arrived at a plain green door, which Davis opened.

Harry walked through into a basically furnished bedroom, containing the usual bed, dresser and side table with a lamp as well as a larger table and some semi-comfortable looking chairs. He slung his backpack off his shoulder and unto the bed. "Well, this looks comfy."

Airman Davis stayed in his position near the door. Harry glanced at him. "So- What? You drew the short straw and got to guard the visitor?"

Davis smiled. "Something like that."

"Well… You can still talk to with me, while you keep and eye out _or_ on me, as the case may be."

"I suppose so," Davis said doubtfully.

Harry dug his shrunken trunks out of the pockets of the backpack and set them on the bed. He'd brought five and hoped he'd thought of everything. One for clothes and personals, three containing books (including the one Daniel was so keen on) and one held a portable transport room (hopefully it worked in spite of the distance) which should make popping back to England fairly easy,

"So where are you from originally?" Harry asked. He debated about unshrinking his clothes trunk but decided that he couldn't in front of the Airman. Instead he upended his backpack, dumping its contents onto the bedcover.

"Eugene, Oregon originally," Davis said from his position by the door.

"Oregon eh?" Harry said, hanging up his leather jacket. "I'm afraid I haven't been to the States much. What's it like there?"

"Pardon sir, but it's pronounced like _organ,_ there's no _gon_ at the end. And it's nice… very green, mountains are close, good skiing… What about you, Brit?"

"Obvious eh? Well, I grew up in Surrey, that's not too far SW of London. It… wasn't so nice. One of those suburbs where every house looks the same. Rather boring actually. Right now I have a nice place in Wales. Mountains, rolling, grassy hills. Beautiful views." Harry finished putting his stuff in the dresser and tossed the empty backpack into the closet.

"Have you been here long?" he asked the Airman.

"A while… Two years now…"

* * *

_**Briefing Room**_

"…And that's about it, General. The rest of the week pretty much _was_ a vacation."

Daniel listened absently as Jack finished off his report. As far as he was concerned, Potter would make a wonderful addition to the SGC. Not to mention making his own workload easier. Right now, he wished he could get back to the peace and quiet of his lab. He needed to start verifying the gate addresses he'd copied from Potter's book. _I hope he gets me that copy soon… I wonder where he got it from? The journal must be incredibly old… but it didn't show much wear or deterioration…_

"What's your assessment of this wand situation Colonel? Are these people a serious threat?" the General asked.

"The threat seemed to be local sir. Potter got an investigation started on this politician who was causing most of the problems. As for the wands… That should definitely by checked out. They're a rather versatile, non-automatic weapon. It's much smaller than a Zat' gun and might make a decent side-arm. That would take some looking into and obviously British cooperation."

"What about Dr. Potter? Is he a threat?"

Sam leaned forward.

"Yes Major?"

"Well sir… Potter's known about the Ancients, the Gou'ald and the Stargate for almost eight years. He's known about our program for nearly a month and as for as we could tell, he hasn't told even those closest to him. He also just willingly signed the non-disclosure forms…" she trailed off.

Jack jumped in with, "The point she's trying to make sir, is that Potter could have leaked this information at any time but he didn't."

"Understood Colonel. And this journal that he's going to lend Dr. Jackson? What so important about it?" Daniel's wandering attention snapped back to the conversation.

Daniel enthusiastically said, "It's a hand written travel journal write in a very old-"

The General interrupted, "It's importance, Doctor."

"Oh- well… I think it may contain a list of Gate addresses. Since the journal's written in a hieratic form of Ancient, these could be worlds settled by them before they Ascended. If I'm right, the list could even contain the address for the Lost City."

"And Dr. Potter is willing to lend it to you?" asked the General.

"Uh- He offered to make me a copy. He said the original was part of a library he inherited from a friend who died last year named Albus Dumbledore."

"Well… let us know how that pans out. What about your idea about bringing him on board with the SGC. Perhaps as your assistant?"

"I think he could be of a lot more use than just carrying Daniel's books around sir. Potter's no Teal'c but he can handle himself. At least hand to hand. Apparently he took out some terrorist at 17. He's got good reflexes and thinks on his feet. We did some sparring and I only beat him in 3 out of 5 falls. Problem is, he's got little to no experience with guns. We'd need to give him a crash course there," Jack said.

"All right. Major?"

"Harry impressed me, General. He jumped in and planned how to rescue Daniel. He had a contingency plan as backup. Besides his three doctorates, he's got an Associates in Chemistry. His lab is set up to produce his own medications. The Bruise Balm healed Daniel in les than a day. I brought back some samples that Janet will love getting her hands on. He might qualify as a field medic now… and that's just the tip of the iceberg. What he's collected together in his Vault in such a short amount of time is pretty amazing. I'm hoping we can talk him into allowing us further access. There are quite a few pieces of technology in there that warrant serious study."

"I'm sure there are Major," the General sounded slightly amused. "Teal'c?"

"Harry Potter is an honorable warrior, although still young and impulsive," Teal'c said. "Several times now, he has mentioned facts about the Ancients as though they were common knowledge. I believe he may know things that could help us in our search for the Lost City."

"Exactly! That's it," Daniel said as something they'd been missing struck him. "Sir, a couple of days ago, I was having trouble translating one of the Ancient tablets from Potter's Vault. All I was getting was gibberish. Harry came in at some point and looked over what I was doing. He laughed and got me another book. All he said was 'The Alterrans loved their little games and puzzles'. The book turned out to be on codes, anagrams and word puzzles." He looked at them expectantly.

The General finally said, "Was there a point in that, Dr. Jackson?"

Daniel sighed, "Look I guess the point is that Harry knows things he shouldn't…"

"We know that Daniel," interrupted Jack. "That's why this whole trip was necessary."

Daniel started pacing. "No, no, No. I mean some of the things he knows just aren't possible. Not only can Harry translate Ancient, he seems to understand how they thought about things. That strikes me as odd. It took _Jack_ having the Repository of Knowledge stuffed into his head for me to even connect the written language with Latin. _I_ had to return from Ascension to start translating it correctly…" He stopped.

"Are you suggesting Potter has returned from Ascension, Dr. Jackson?" Hammond asked looking skeptical. "That seems highly unlikely."

"No, Harry's as human as you or me but I'm beginning to think he might have been in contact with an Ascended Being. Possibly this mentor of his- Moros…"

"He said Moros was dead, Daniel," Jack butted in.

"Actually O'Neill, I believe Harry Potter said Moros was 'no longer among the living'," said Teal'c.

"That's what I said!"

"I have noticed that Harry Potter is very careful about the way he words some things, O'Neill. 'No longer among the living' could mean a number of things besides death," Teal'c said.

"Exactly," Daniel said, feeling that Teal'c had pinned down precisely what had been bothering him about Harry's story.

"Do you have anything concrete to support your theory Dr. Jackson? Because otherwise it's merely speculation," reasoned General Hammond.

"No sir. Not at this point," Daniel said.

"Then I suggest you investigate further before running off on a wild hair," the General said.

"If he's right sir," Sam said, "It puts a whole other complexion on what Potter could tell us. That kind of knowledge would be an incredible asset to the program."

"I'm aware of that Major. I'll take under consideration but it's all just a theory unless you can back it with something solid. Dr. Jackson- You're in charge of Dr. Potter's tour. Let's make a good impression," Hammond finished. "Dismissed."

* * *

_**The Tour**_

Harry looked up when Davis suddenly stopped talking.

"What is it?" he asked, hopping up out of the chair.

The Airman didn't answer. He just stood stiffly in the doorway. Daniel Jackson appeared and knocked on the doorframe. "Are you ready for your tour?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure Daniel. The Airman and I were just having a chat. What do I get to see first?"

"Well… How about if we start at the top and work our way down to the main attraction?" Daniel asked.

"Sounds fine. Lead on," Harry told him.

So that was what they did. Jackson gave Harry the whole introductory speel about how the complex was a former high-security missile silo during the '60s. It now contained NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) on the main levels and Stargate Command occupied the lower sublevels. Within the facility, security clearance increased with successive sublevels. The doorways and lighting in the tunnels-hallways used a system of color-coding to help identify the various levels.

Jackson helpfully pointed out the important things, such as the Commissary and Mess Hall up on the main level. Security and the Brig were on Level 16. The Labs were on 18 and 19. Those got a little more interesting.

Besides Daniel's lab (full to the brim with books and artifacts) and Sam's lab (computers and electronic gadgets). There were several other labs with ongoing studies and experiments. Harry stopped to watch as three men in white lab coats attempted to use some sort of scanner on a small rabbit-sized creature with long fangs and claws. It was locked inside a reinforced cage but repeatedly threw itself at the bars. One of the men got too close and received a nasty scratch.

"Um… Why don't they stun it?" Harry asked.

"I don't know. Maybe they're having more fun this way?" said Daniel.

"Riight…"

The next few levels contained the medical facilities: The MRI Room, Infirmary, Medical Labs, Pharmacy and Supplies, Operating Theater and Observation Platform.

Daniel stopped at an office door and knocked. There was no answer so He stuck his head inside. "Hmm… She's not here. Probably over at the Infirmary. Come on."

They entered a long room filled with hospital beds. At the far end, two women were going through a large medical supply cabinet. A younger one had long, dark hair pulled back in a plait and the other woman had shorter light-brown hair that framed her face. The dark-haired one pulled out a tray of small, glass bottles with one hand and started to count them. The other wrote it down on a clipboard. They both turned when Daniel called.

"Janet? There's someone here I think you'll like to meet. Did you get those samples that Sam brought back?"

"Yes, they're in the lab now." The woman with the clipboard looked curiously at Harry. She was a very small woman with bright eyes and a confident air about her that told Harry she'd be tough to escape from; once she decided you needed her care. "I haven't had a chance to look at them yet. All she said was that I'd find them intriguing…"

"Well, this is the man who made the originals… So you'll have to direct any questions to him. Dr. Janet Fraiser, this is Harry Potter. He's…"

CRASH!

They all turned to look. The young nurse had dropped the tray. She stared at Harry for a few seconds before dropping to her knees to gather up the fallen bottles, which had rolled every which way.

"…visiting from England," finished Daniel.

Harry bent down and scooped up two of the runaway bottles of –Epinephrine, according to the label. He handed them to the frazzled nurse just as she glanced up. She had brown eyes.

"Uh… These escaped… Sorry we startled you. Hope nothing broke," Harry said.

"T-Thanks, they're fine." She accepted the runaways and put them back in their spots. Then she stood and slid the tray back into its place.

Harry turned back to Dr. Fraiser. "Pleasure to meet you ma'am. Sam mentioned your name."

"Major Carter's a good friend. What were you talking about, that she mentioned me?" the doctor asked.

"Oh- we were speaking of the different healers we knew. Sam insisted that you would have won."

"Won what?" she asked warily.

"The Most Menacing, Benevolent Despot Award, of course." Harry's eyes twinkled. Daniel snickered and started to laugh. The nurse snorted from behind them.

The doctor's lips firmed. "Now, why would she say a thing like that?" Her eyes scanned Jackson's figure. "Daniel, if you don't stop laughing, I believe I'll schedule you for a full physical this month." Jackson immediately shut up. "As for you Mr. Potter- I heard you were recovering from a concussion."

"I'm fine ma'am and I for one don't understand how such a vicious rumor got started," Harry said.

"Fine, eh? Why don't we let me be the judge of that…" she said with an evil look in her eye.

Which is how Harry found himself dealing with a penlight being shown in his eyes, questions about dizziness and nausea and a bottle Tylenol being thrust into his hand. They escaped from her clutches only after promising to return _immediately_ if any problems developed.

"What _is_ it with you and doctors Harry?" Daniel asked as they continued the tour.

"I don't know… Healers see me and feel compelled to attack or something. It's partly why I have such a large collection of healing potions. Much less fuss that way."

"Well, you probably shouldn't say you're fine up front like that. I think Janet took it as a challenge to her professional judgment," Daniel said.

"You're right. No one ever believes me when I say 'I'm fine'," Harry concluded.

* * *

Many floors above, at the surface, one of the guards patrolling the entrance whirled around, MP-5 raised.

"What is it," asked his partner.

"I don't know… Nothing's there. I thought I saw something move, just out of the corner of my eye, ya know?"

"Where?"

"Just over there- by the fence."

His partner cautiously walked over and scanned the fence-line and the hill behind it. "Nothing's there that I can see, Parkinson."

They relaxed and their guns lowered. After a few more searching looks, the men resumed their patrols.

* * *

_**The Tour**_

The next several levels of the complex were mostly Base personnel and guest quarters. He and Daniel did a walkthrough. They passed Harry's own room, along with Airman Davis who returned Harry's wave with a nod. Daniel pointed out SG1's rooms and gave Harry quick introductions to a few people, including a Dr. Bill Lee (the other man from Honduras) and a Sergeant Siler. Both seemed friendly, although Dr. Lee seemed quite eager to get back to something 'cooking' in his lab… whatever that meant.

Teal'c's room was at the end of the hallway. He was inside, just finishing unpacking from their trip. He came out and joined them.

The tour continued through the gym and locker-room. Harry asked about going for his morning runs.

"I'm afraid you won't be allowed to walk around unescorted Harry," said Daniel. "Not unless you get security clearance… Perhaps if someone went with you."

"I rather doubt that Airman Davis or whomever gets the short straw tomorrow will want to run about, lugging their big guns, Daniel."

"You might be surprised…"

"I will go with you Harry Potter," said Teal'c. "Just come to my room when you are ready and we will go."

"Thanks, Teal'c. I appreciate it." Harry nodded and Teal'c bowed his head solemnly in return.

They dodged around a group of off-duty soldiers headed for the locker-room and returned to the elevator. Daniel pushed 27 and it once again started its descent.

"Harry, I've been meaning to ask you more about your mentor Moros-" Daniel said. Teal'c raised an eyebrow at this. "What was he like? How would you describe him?"

"Hmm… As a sly, stubborn old goat. Frightfully intelligent… Clever enough to get around rules he didn't agree with… A firm taskmaster- never satisfied with mediocrity," Harry listed.

"What rules?' asked Daniel.

"Well… Moros always said that rules should be a guide to keep one's feet upon the correct path but that they should never be set in stone. As total rigidity was rarely good for anything besides holding up mountains."

"When did you meet him?" Daniel asked.

The elevator dinged and opened its doors to busy corridor of Level 27.

"I was fifteen." Harry raised his hand to Daniel's shoulder to stop him from asking anymore. "This isn't the best place for that, Daniel… Perhaps later."

"Later then…"

Daniel and Teal'c led the way down to a large, open room with a red and black table in the center. A colorful crest hung on the opposite wall attracted his attention. An inverted V with a circle and the letters SGC. It looked like the shoulder patches everyone seemed to wear on their uniforms.

Daniel watched him look around. "This is the Briefing Room Harry, where we meet before and after missions." He gestured to their left, "Over here is the General's office… where he is hard at work." The window showed General Hammond, kicked back in his chair and talking on the phone.

"Uh-hum… And over here…" Daniel led the way over to a large window, "Is what you came all this way to see."

Harry looked down and there it was… a working Stargate.

It stood alone at the far end of a seemingly ceiling-less room. A large metal ring, at least 12' foot in diameter, with four red clamps bracing it in place and a wide ramp leading up to the bottom edge.

"Would it be possible to see the Gate in action Daniel?" asked Harry.

"I don't know… we could ask for the schedule," he said.

"Actually Dr. Potter, SG7 is due to return tomorrow at 08:30 if you'd like to watch," said General Hammond as he entered the Briefing Room.

"That'd be excellent sir, I'll be there."

"So- What do you think of our little facility, now that you've had the chance to look around?" the General asked.

"Well… It's big- much larger than I'd pictured. The high-security's a bit daunting. I can already tell that the chief medical officer's a terror, but I think that any gopher would be very proud sir."

Hammond chuckled, "Did you get settled in? …Son? What's wrong?"

Harry's eyes had fallen shut and he'd whirled to face the window overlooking the Gate Room. "Is it supposed to do that?" he asked.

"Do what?" said Daniel and Hammond.

"We are unsure what you mean Harry Potter," Teal'c said.

"The Stargate," Harry said, opening his eyes. To his magic attuned senses, the large ring was almost humming with gradually building waves of energy. _The amount of power coursing through it must be astronomical. Absolutely Incredible,_ he thought.

"What about it, Harry? It's just sitting there," said Daniel.

"It's charging… Building…"

Their questions about what he was talking about were answered when the inner ring began moving. An alarm sounded as the chevrons lit up, one by one.

"Unscheduled off-world activation. Closing the iris," said a voice through the PA system.

KAWHOOSHHH! The Stargate exploded and then settled back into a rippling pool of glowing bluish-white.

"Wicked!" breathed Harry.

The General gave him a long, considering look that promised a chat soon, before heading for the spiral staircase in the corner. Daniel and Teal'c followed and Harry tagged along.

The stairs wound down into a busy control-room. Uniformed personnel were seated at various computer terminals. Some were monitoring readings off the large bank of machines covered with hundreds of dials and blinking lights.

"What's the status Sergeant?" barked the General.

"It's SG7's code sir," said a man who's nametag read W. Harriman. "We're opening the iris now."

The ringing SHINNGGG! Of metal on metal sounded as an intricately-pieced shield unlocked and spun open to reveal the glowing pool. There was a tense pause as everyone waited, staring at the portal.

"What's up sir?" asked O'Neill flippantly as he and Major Carter entered the room.

"It's SG7's code, but they're not due back until tomorrow morning Colonel," the General said.

Major Fisher is transmitting sir," reported Harriman.

The tired-sounding voice echoed out of the overhead speaker, "This is Fischer. We're coming through with a lame duck sir. Best have Doc Fraiser standing by."

"Copy that Major. Proceed," said Hammond. "Call Dr. Fraiser's team to the Gate Room, Sergeant."

"Yes, sir."

They went down the side stairs and around through a corridor to the Gate Room. Harry watched, fascinated, as two people in camouflaged fatigues materialized out of the Stargate. The first man was assisting the second one. He was limping badly and covered with scrapes and bruises. They were followed by a third and then a fourth man, before the Gate snuffed off. The tremendous energy coursing through the device died away to a quiet steady pulse, much like a heartbeat.

"What happened Major?" asked Hammond.

The early return proved to be nothing more exciting than Dr. Meyers having an accident during their examination of the half-buried lab facility on P7R-942. An unstable wall had given way and the falling debris had shattered Meyer's lower leg.

"Very well," said the General. "Debriefing in one hour. Get cleaned up son." He turned to Harry and the others. "SG1… Dr. Potter… I'd like to talk about what just happened in the Briefing Room." He gestured towards the stairs and they trooped back up. Harry wondering _what _he could say.

* * *

Meanwhile, up on Level 16, two SF's had just come on duty in the video surveillance room near the secondary elevator. They settled in and ran their initial checks. The bank of monitors showed nothing unusual until the far screen flipped to Corridor C on Level 18.

A shadow appeared on the wall of the hallway and moved hesitantly towards the far end. The small figure stayed close to the wall and out of the light. It stopped near the corner and peered around the edge then jerked back suddenly. The shadow shrank back into the wall and then disappeared.

Two men in white lab coats came around the corner talking and entered a lab door along the hallway. They apparently hadn't seen anything.

"What the hell?" blinked Sergeant Farrow. "Bergmann- run back the tape on Camera 10. Something odd just happened…"

* * *

"So- Dr. Potter. Do you have any explanation for your reaction before the Stargate activated?"

"Umm… Not really sir."

"Wait a minute General sir… What reaction?" asked Carter, blurting out exactly what Jack was intending to say.

"It seems that Dr. Potter knew our Gate was being dialed before the first chevron lit," Hammond said.

"Begging your pardon sir, that's not possible. We ran all kinds of tests and there was nothing to indicate when the Gate would activate until it actually initiated the dialing sequence. We did notice some seismic activity as the inner ring began moving but we compensated for that by installing frequency dampeners that limit it to a slight vibration."

"I just saw him do it Major," the General said.

"I concur," Teal'c said solemnly.

"But-"

"Sam… We were all standing next to Harry. He said the Gate was 'charging'. You've always talked about how the Stargates are giant superconductors and how much power they take to use. Isn't it quite probable that there'd be a charging or powering up period right before activation?" asked Daniel.

Well… maybe. But predicting…"

Jack watched as they argued about 'probability' and how Potter couldn't have done something he'd evidently already done. All the while, Potter himself watched in bemusement.

"Oh for crying out loud! He's standing right here. Ask him!"

Everyone turned to look at Potter who shifted uncomfortably.

Daniel, ever the mediator, moved forward. "Sorry to have left you out of the discussion Harry. Jack's right… for once." He grinned when Jack made a face at him. "What alerted you to the fact the Stargate was activating? You felt something… right?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"Do you remember what I told you about how I located Gou'ald artifacts?" the kid asked.

"You said they often give off a 'pulse' because the Naquadrah stores energy," Daniel rattled off. "You're saying the Stargate Naquadrah does something similar?"

Potter nodded. "I've never been around an active Gate before. At rest… it's like a giant's heartbeat (although not the same rhythm), but it quickly built up to a sort of continuous 'roar' until that explosion of energy. Then it died back to the sort of steady 'hum'." He gestured towards the window. "It's back to the heartbeat now."

"Why did you close your eyes?" asked Daniel.

"Mostly to shut out visual distractions… It helps to concentrate on the energy pattern, so I'll recognize it the next time."

"Amazing," said Carter. "I wonder what sort of energy signature you're registering Harry. If we could identify it, maybe we could come up with our own scanners as an early warning system… We could run some tests and …"

Jack was amused by Potter's expression, which was torn between amusement at her enthusiasm and panic at the thought of being her guinea pig.

"Be that as it may Major, you'll nave to discuss that with Dr. Potter at a later time," the General said before turning to Potter. "Are there many more 'surprises' about you that we should be concerned about, Dr. Potter?"

"Probably." The kid looked solemnly at each of them. "You haven't known me very long General. Some of the things that I take for granted possibly _will_ surprise or alarm you. I hope you'll concede that doing something that others perceive as unusual for a long time makes it seem normal." He smiled ironically. "Such as stepping across galaxies on a daily basis. I _can _promise I would never use what I know to harm the people on this base… except perhaps in self-defense. If that seems unreasonable, I can go…"

Hammond held up his hand. "That seems totally reasonable Son and I'll concede the point about the unusual becoming routine. We'd like you to stay. Actually, I'd like you to consider joining the SGC on a permanent basis. I feel we could learn a lot from each other." He smiled for the first time since the conversation had started. "We can deal with your surprises as they come up.

The members of SG1 have all recommended you. You'd be acting as a fifth member of their team pending the passing of a complete physical and the completion of several training courses. They include one on the alien races we've encountered so far- enemies and allies. As well as several to familiarize you with our weapons and our tactics in dealing with the Gou'ald. Your other primary task would be to assist Dr. Jackson in his efforts. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to explain what those are if you ask."

Jack could see that Potter didn't know exactly what to say. The General had certainly sprung that one on him.

"I'd like to think about it sir. Can I get back with you tomorrow?"

"Of course Dr. Potter. You can- " he stopped as the Sergeant manning the Security desk came over and handed him a note. "Excuse me…" he said turning away to read it.

He whirled back. "This just happened?"

"Yes sir. You can call up Sergeant Farrow to get the full update. Security is sweeping the complex now. No luck so far, sir.

"Continue the search Sergeant. Initiate Lockdown Procedures. Let me know immediately if you find someone."

"Yes sir," the Sergeant said and returned to his terminal.

"What's up sir?" asked Jack curiously.

"Video surveillance caught sight of a possible intruder on Level 18. They're sweeping the area now," Hammond said.

"Possible intruder sir?" asked Carter.

"The camera apparently didn't get a very good picture Major. Not enough for identification."

Jack walked up behind the security station in the corner. The monitors showed SFs guarding the elevators and stairwells. Others were patrolling and searching Level 18. Reports were coming in negative.

Until there was a squawk over the radio. "_I think I've got something sir… What the hell-?!"! _There was a CRASH and the voice was cut off.

The General grabbed the radio. "Airman. Report! What is your position? What's happened?"

"Sounded like Harrison sir," the Sergeant said.

The radio let out another squawk before the same voice said, _"I'm on Level 23 sir. Ouch!"_

"Are you hurt Son? What's the situation?" barked Hammond. "Order teams to Level 23 Sergeant."

"Yes sir."

"_I'm alright. Sir we have a Confirmed Alien Sighting on Level 23 near Storage Room 2317. It's small and seems to be alone. Approach with caution. I tried to apprehend him and it did something that threw me into a pile of storage crates. That was the CRASH. It was gone when I stood up. So it's fast-moving."_

"What does it look like, Airman?"

"_It's about three foot high with large ears and it's wearing the oddest assortment of clothes,"_ came the reply.

"Understood. Hammond Out," the General set the radio down. "Sergeant- See that the description is passed around."

"Right away, General."

"Uh- General Hammond?" Potter said quietly.

"Not now, Dr. Potter."

The kid shrugged and went to lean against the Briefing table.

"Sir, how did it get from Level 18 to 23 during a Lockdown?" asked Carter. "And if it came through the Gate with Major Fischer's team- why didn't we see it?"

"That's a very good question Major."

The next sighting was on Level 25, where Airman Davis reported seeing the creature. He'd chased it around the corner into Corridor B but it had vanished by the time he got there. The whole complex was being searched by this time.

"It seems to be headed deeper into the facility, General Hammond," said Teal'c. "If it is attempting to escape, why is it coming back?"

"Perhaps it's lost," offered Daniel.

"Or it's trying to return through the Gate," said Carter. "General, I recommend we put some people in the Gate Room. Just in case."

"Good idea Major. Sergeant. See to it."

There was a shout from out in the hallway and the sound of feet pounding in their direction.

Potter rose from his chair in time for a small fast-moving object to come flying through the door. It tackled Potter around the knees, nearly knocking him down. Then quickly hid behind him as six SFs burst through the doorway, guns ready.

Potter stepped fully in front of the creature as it huddled behind him, half under the Briefing table. More armed Airmen stormed through the other door. No escape.

Potter put his hands out in a calming gesture. "You're scaring him!"

"Just what is going on Potter!" demanded the General.

"If everyone would calm down, I'll explain," the kid said, sounding quite calm for someone with assault rifles pointed at him.

"It's alright sir," said Jack, having recognized the intruder. "I think we can lose the guns."

Hammond glanced from him to Potter before saying, "Stand down."

The Airmen relaxed their stances and the guns eased down.

"So… please explain, Dr. Potter."

A touch of red came to the kid's cheeks at Hammond's tone. "Uh… This is someone you need to meet, as you'll probably be seeing him a lot if I accept your job offer. General George Hammond… I'd like to introduce a good friend of mine. Dobby, the house elf." He looked over his shoulder at the elf. "Come on out Dobby. It's all right now…"

One large ear and then a green eye peeked shyly around Potter's leg. The elf looked up at Harry, who smiled reassuringly. Then he stepped out from underneath the table.

Jack had to laugh. The elf was wearing his usual mis-matched socks as well as an outfit, which strongly reminded Jack of Snoopy's World War I Flying Ace getup. Complete with leather coat, scarf and the hat with goggles.

"Sir Colonel Nealy sir!" the elf squeaked happily. The name and the salute that followed set everyone else to snickering, even Hammond smiled.

Jack rolled his eyes. He'd never live this one down.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Long wait I know. I must have rewritten this one 4-5 times. Please forgive any hideous mistakes in the medical section as I'm certainly no expert. Same with the info on the P-90 that was straight off the internet. As for what the umbrella is... you'll have to wait and see.

Also, if anyone has some good suggestions about Harry's physical. I could use some actual physical signs of his magic. Example: The brain function test, a EEG I think- what could it show? or the blood work? or the MRI?_**  
**_

_**Chapter 15: Training**_

* * *

_**Briefing Room, SGC**_

"…And thens I be having troubles finding Harry Potter sir. You bes all over this place sir," Dobby explained.

"Ah- Yeah, Dobby. They just gave me a tour," Harry said.

"I pops closer but you keeps moving sir."

O'Neill and the others tried to explain house-elf popping to the General. (He was not happy.)

"Ahh- General… While you won't be able to stop Dobby's popping, you can ask him to check in with yourself or one of your security officers when he comes and goes… as long as they don't shoot at him or something."

Harry knelt down by the elf. "Dobby- this place is a _very_ big secret. Would you agree to check in with someone and to keep the secret?"

"Of course I keeps secrets, Harry Potter sir. Elfs is good at secrets." The elf's voice lower to a loud whisper. "Is alrights if I pops around inside sir? I never be finishing my works else."

"General…?" Harry asked.

Hammond still wasn't totally happy but he seemed more or less satisfied with the arrangement.

"Why exactly are you here Dobby? You're supposed to be looking after Hedwig. She shouldn't be left alone." Harry's face turned anxious. "Nothing's wrong is it?"

"No, no, Harry Potter sir. Lady Hedwig is with Mr. Moony sir. He be wishing you well sir. His changing lady does too."

"I wish them well also but it doesn't answer the question Dobby. Why are you here?" Harry asked.

"You goes too far sir. Dobby _must_ follow."

"I've gone far away before, Dobby. Why this time?"

The elf put his hands behind him and fidgeted like a small child. "Dobby _always_ follow Harry Potter sir," he whispered. "Is Dobby bad elf sir?"

Alarmed Harry said, "No! No, of course not." He shoved a hand through his unruly hair. "But… You could have come _with_ me instead of popping all over the world by yourself."

"Wait a minute," said Sam. "Dobby, you 'popped' here all the way from England?"

"Oh no, Miss Major Sam. Eight pops to come here. Pop to IceIsle, GreenIsle, two pops for Can'da and four through United Colonies, yes?" the elf said brightly.

"Iceland and Greenland, huh?" O'Neill said. "I hope you brought extra socks."

"Speaking of clothes… Where'd you get that outfit?" asked Harry.

"Sir Fred and George. They be visitin' Mr. Moony and tells me all abouts the flyers you be meetin'. They say flyers wear special clothes and they Salute." He spun about proudly showing off his 'flyer outfit' and then stopped to execute a proper British salute, palm out.

"Hmm… I think they may be a few years out of date there Dobby," said Harry.

O'Neill snorted, "Try half-a-century." Dobby looked crushed.

Harry patted his shoulder. "Don't worry about it Dobby. You look very... smart. As for Sir Fred and George… I'll get you something to slip into their morning pumpkin juice the next time you see them. Alright?"

The elf nodded vigorously.

"Come on. We'll rig you up a bunk in my room."

Everyone else watched the odd pair leave the room.

"Could I be using the Bozo Blower powder sir? Tha' would dissolve fast," the elf said as they left.

"I like the way you think Dobby," Harry answered. "Plus the twins won't be able to get rid of the red noses and rainbow hair for a couple of days. Make sure to get me pictures." Their voices faded down the hall.

Hammond shook his head in disbelief and then looked towards SG1. "Keep an eye on them."

* * *

The team decided to grab a pizza and to take Potter to Jack's house. Evening was just falling by the time they arrived. 

Jack unlocked the door and flipped on the light. The gang piled into the den area. They settled onto the couch and various chairs with the pizza on the coffee table. Jack went to the kitchen and retrieved a cold six-pack. He handed them out to everyone until he came to Potter. Jack couldn't resist.

"Do I need to see some ID, young man?" he asked sternly.

Potter made a face and snatched the bottle out of his hand so fast, Jack thought it might have blurred. Harry smirked at him. "I just turned 24, old man." He twisted the top off and took a swig. "As _anyone_ who'd investigated me properly should know."

Jack flipped him off and settled into his favorite spot on the couch. They talked idly while gorging on beer and pizza, mostly about Dobby's dramatic entrance.

"Do you think General Hammond will be satisfied with Dobby checking in? Because I _really _don't think I can stop him from coming," Potter said seriously.

"I don't think satisfied is the right word," Jack said.

"Well… he's had to deal with the Asgard beaming right into the facility without ringing the doorbell. At least Dobby won't do that," Daniel added with a grin.

"I'm more worried about someone shooting at him," Potter said.

Jack shrugged, "Scuttlebutt should get around fast and the General will probably have you introduce him to the security heads. That should take care of it."

"Speaking of beaming into the facility…" said Teal'c, "Could you not 'Apparate' yourself onto the base Harry Potter? Or Portkey?"

"Besides the fact that it would be incredibly rude and I might get myself shot, you mean?" Potter asked.

Teal'c nodded.

"Well, now that I've been here. I _could _set a Portkey destination inside the facility. Say to the Infirmary for emergencies. I have no idea whether it would work offworld though, if that's what you're asking. As for Apparition, I could try but it would be very dangerous."

"In what way?" Carter asked curiously. "Dobby popped in."

"Popping is _totally_ different from Apparition, Sam. Dobby describes it as the world becoming unsubstantial around him. He can pass through walls, people, anything… and go very fast over long distance jumps. An elf can see what's going on but they can't touch anything until they pop back into the real world. Oh- and they're not visible to our eyes while they pop either."

"That almost sounds like he steps out of phase," Carter said excitedly.

"Out of phase?" Potter asked.

"Yes, a parallel dimension," she explained. "A few years ago we met an alien race whose particles were 180 degrees out of phase with us. It made them invisible and inaudible to us although they could interact with our world."

"Interesting," Harry said.

"What about Apparition Harry Potter," asked Teal'c. "How is it different?"

"Well… When I Apparated us to Remus' house, what did you feel?"

"Pressure. Uncomfortable pressure," said Teal'c.

"Kinda like being squeezed out of a tube of toothpaste actually," said Jack.

Harry nodded. "Apparition forces you from one position to another through a void-like place."

"How is it dangerous Harry?" asked Carter.

"There's a mental component to Apparition. You have to know exactly where you want to go and its spacial relationship to where you are. Normally it's used to travel between well-known places or sometimes to precise coordinates. That's _on_ the Earth's surface, with two variables (Latitude and Longitude) and a clear mental picture of your landing site. The reason I said it would be dangerous to Apparate into Cheyenne Mountain is you're adding a third variable to your coordinates."

Carter nodded thoughtfully, "Height."

"Right," Harry said. "I've heard of people being seriously injured trying to Apparate down off tall buildings as well. Trying to go underground…" He shook his head, "That's probably asking to put yourself in a wall or something."

Everyone winced at the thought.

"Is Apparition done with a wand?" Carter asked.

"Yes, usually."

"Do you have a wand?" she asked. "Can you show us how one works Harry?"

Potter's mouth quirked a bit at the Major's question but he refrained from comment on the slightly suggestive wording. "What you have to understand about wands- is that not everyone can use one, Major. Those who can are approached as children and asked to attend special schools to learn how."

Jack noticed the kid hadn't actually said whether or not he had a wand himself.

"What about you, Harry Potter?" asked Teal'c. "How did you learn to do similar things without such a device?"

"I've never been exactly normal, Teal'c." There was a bitter edge to the comment. "Moros showed me how to manage without one." He snorted, "One of his favorite sayings went: _If a man's broken leg heals and he begins to walk… Why would he still carry his crutches? _Drove me mental sometimes."

"Meaning- what?" asked Daniel.

"Batty… Off one's rocker… Rats in the upper story…"

"No. I mean the saying-"

"Oh. I'm not sure it has a right or wrong answer Daniel. Mostly he said things like that to make me think… or drive me crazy… I was never too sure which one."

Jack butted in, "This is getting _way_ too philosophical for a pizza party. So… Potter. Are you going to accept the General's offer?"

Potter paused to consider his answer. "It's tempting… I'd love to learn more about the Stargate and how it works. I'm just not sure I'm comfortable with the idea of working for the military of a foreign government."

"You could sign on like I did… as a consultant," said Daniel.

"I suppose…" Potter said. "I guess I don't understand why you'd want me in the first place."

"Well, let's see… You've got guts, smarts, good survival instincts and you're OK in a fight," Jack listed.

"You helped us to retrieve Daniel Jackson. Even though you did not know him," said Teal'c.

Carter leaned forward eagerly. "You could help us identify this energy you can sense around the Stargate. I would love to run some tests on your other abilities too."

Potter didn't look too eager himself. "I'm not some sort of Guinea Pig, Sam."

"Of course not Harry. None of us would expect you to be," said Daniel calmly. "I think your skills would be a great asset to the program. You have the same doctorates as I do and would be an enormous help in slogging through all the artifacts that come back through the Gate for study and analysis."

"That's not even touching on your talent for languages," said Carter. "'Brilliant' is how Dr. Devlin described you. How many languages are you familiar with anyways?"

Potter was turning rather pink but said, "Twenty-one… but I only speak twelve fluently."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Only twelve? Oh the shame-"

"Indeed," smiled Teal'c. "Quite an accomplishment."

"Um… Thanks."

"We'd like to talk more about your mentor Moros," said Daniel. "As well as examine more of the items in your Vault."

Potter gave him a sharp look. "Perhaps…" He stood and paced back and forth in front of the patio door. "So… those are the reasons the SGC would want me to come," he mused. "But why would I want to get involved? Hmm…"

"Well, there's exploring the galaxy and finding new technologies. Some things so advanced that we never imagined that they were possible," said Carter.

"I'm having enough trouble covering my own planet, Sam."

"If you wish to continue your search for these dangerous alien artifacts, I am sure that General Hammond could work something out. You would then have backup and the support of the SG teams," said Teal'c.

"Hmm…"

"You get to beat the bad guys," said Jack. "Maybe save the world."

Potter just gave him a look, "Saving the world's over-rated," he said flatly.

"You'll see some incredible new places. Find new cultures. Learn new and lost languages and get to meet new people," suggested Daniel.

Potter looked slightly more interested, but said, "Sometimes… I think people are over-rated too." He continued pacing.

"Sometimes," agreed Jack.

"But there are good ones," said Daniel.

"Here and out there," added Carter.

"The ones you care about are always worth protecting, Harry Potter," Teal'c stated with conviction.

The kid stopped wearing a hole in Jack's carpet and a soft smile appeared. "Yes… Yes they are…" he said. "Alright, I'll stay." The smile turned to a smirk. "Does the General like owls?"

* * *

It turned out that while General Hammond didn't particularly like the idea of an owl on his top-secret military base, Harry didn't particularly like the idea of a full physical with Dr. Fraiser either. Both parties just had to deal with it. 

Harry figured that the physical had gone as well as could be expected. He'd only shorted out two machines, both by accident. The first had been because Dr. Fraiser had startled him with a cold stethoscope. Harry'd jumped (a little) and must have sent off a small magical pulse because the monitoring machine by the next bed suddenly shrieked in alarm and then died. A nurse he didn't recognize came in and took it away.

After that he'd put up a strong dampening field around himself. However, the second machine (an ECG the doctor called it) had snuffed it as soon as she connected it to him. Harry wasn't sure what or if he'd done something to that one. However he put up another field around that machine. _This could be a problem, _he thought. _Perhaps I should find the time to study the whole Magic vs. Electricity dilemma more closely._

Harry wondered exactly what kind of reaction his magic would have if he were hurt or unconscious. _I'll just have to be extra careful, _he thought. _And tell Dobby who to contact in an emergency._

The rest of Dr. Fraiser's tests seemed to go alright, at least for Harry. They consisted of the usual: height, weight, pulse, blood pressure and blood and urine samples. They were followed by a physical exam. That got rather entertaining because some of Harry's scars were a bit hard to explain. For example- the Basilisk fang puncture. The good doctor didn't seem to believe him when he told her there were some mighty big snakes in the world.

"And this one? Dr. Fraiser asked, pointing to his wrist.

It was the scar from Voldemort's Re-birthing ceremony and it went from his wrist nearly to his elbow. "Uh… that's from an unexpected encounter with a small, rat of a man and a large knife, ma'am."

"It scarred pretty badly… How old were you?"

Fourteen."

"Uh-huh."

"What about the scars on your back and legs?" she asked.

"Just the usual childhood cuts and bruises."

"They're a bit extensive for that, Dr. Potter."

"Yeah well, there were a couple of bullies in the neighborhood I had a tough time keeping away from. And please- Just call me Harry."

She also had given Harry some strange looks after the test concerning brain function… or perhaps he'd grown a second nose without noticing.

Then, they ran a series of X-rays on his hands of all things, even though he told them there was nothing wrong with them.

In between tests, Harry had discreetly begun placing strong dampening fields on all the medical equipment when he ran into something odd. Several of the machines already had thin fields protecting them. Harry strengthened those but it definitely meant someone magical had been in here.

_Interesting, _he thought, remembering the dark-haired nurse and the dropped tray.

"Umm… I don't see the nurse from yesterday. I never did get her name. Is she off-duty?" Harry asked.

"Oh, that was Lieutenant Fairwell. Actually, she's been helping me go through the samples from your medicines. The tests are showing several unknown compounds. Perhaps you'd be willing to come by later to tell us what you know about them?"

"Alright, that's no problem."

The last test was something called an MRI. It had given him a very bad headache and he'd felt absurdly dizzy afterwards. Ridiculous, considering all he'd done was lie in a tube for 20 minutes. Harry was glad Dr. Fraiser let him go after that and he went to his room for a short kip (nap).

* * *

_**Daniel's Lab**_

Daniel Jackson kept a critical eye on Harry Potter, at least at first. However, it quickly became apparent that his companion knew what he was doing as far as cataloguing went. They were working in the large storage room behind Daniel's lab, trying to sort through the large array of alien items brought back through the Stargate. Each item needed to be identified and tagged, along with a small report made out on recovery information (place of origin and discovery, culture involved and any theories as to purpose or use) It was a long and mostly tedious process that Daniel could never seem to catch up on by himself. Potter was definitely going to be worth his weight in gold if he could even help him break even.

Currently, they were slogging through the bits and pieces brought back from M3K-129. An uninhabited planet which held the ruins of an Ancient City. One of the SG geologists had determined that the planet was subject to devastating periodic seismic activity, which no doubt explained the lack of inhabitants. Perhaps it was even the reason the Ancients abandoned the city long ago.

It had been hard to find _anything_ even worth salvaging in the fallen debris, between neglect, erosion and the countless earthquakes there wasn't much left. Just bit and pieces.

"Harry? What do you think of these? Any ideas?" asked Daniel as he pulled more items out of their crate and unwrapped them one by one.

Potter came over and scanned the table. "Hmm… Well, Alterran writings on several of them." Then he snorted in amusement. "What? Did you excavate some Ancient's lavatory or something?"

"Why do you say that?" Daniel asked.

Harry pointed, "Well, that's a hair brush and comb… That's probably a toothbrush and this is a razor."

Daniel glanced down at the items, none of which looked much like their Earth counterparts. He picked up the one that was suppose to be a hairbrush. It was flat, 8" inches long and vaguely rectangular. It appeared to be carved out something like ivory. While the item was about the right shape and the bottom fit comfortably into his hand, it didn't have bristles or even holes to indicate some long gone. "Uh… Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Moros had one like it in his old room. Give it here, Daniel," Harry said absently as he was still rooting through the crate.

Daniel handed the item over feeling curious. "Moros?"

"Yeah, some Alterran artifacts will only activate for certain people," Harry said matter-of-factly. He reached out and took hold of the piece. As soon as he touched it, the 'ivory' handle began to glow softly and bristles grew out from the top portion.

Daniel felt his mouth fall open and quickly closed it again. "How'd you do that?" he asked and took the brush back. The glow vanished and the bristles melted back into the handle. "That's amazing!"

Harry shrugged. "I'm not sure how it works Daniel… it just does." He paused, "You might want to have O'Neill try… The transport room in my home reacted to him and that's Alterran technology also…"

"Harry… I've been meaning to ask you about Moros. How did you meet?"

Harry closed his eyes and sighed. "It was just after my godfather died. I began taking long walks around my school by myself and I ran across a room I'd never seen before. There was a raised platform in the middle. When I approached it, a hologram appeared."

"A hologram? What did it say?"

"It said that he'd been waiting for someone like me for a long time. He offered great knowledge and to teach me all he knew. I figured that I should go get the headmaster or maybe my friend Hermione (she was really smart). They probably would have been better choices but the hologram warned me that if I refused, the opportunity would be lost. Apparently he could only offer once. All I had to do was agree and step through a door."

Harry shrugged. "I accepted. I figured it was my one chance to learn enough to beat Voldemort and that it was worth the cost."

"The cost?"

"Well, I couldn't leave until Moros judged that I'd learned enough. It took 18 months of hard study before he would even consider showing me how to leave the place." He sighed, "No way to contact any of my friends… It was… hard."

Daniel considered how to ask what he really wanted to know. "Harry… Was Moros an Ancient? Or an Ascended Being?" he finally asked straight out.

The younger man looked at him a moment and then said, "Umm… yes and no."

"Yes and no? What do you mean by that?"

"Yes, he was an Ancient but I guess you'd have to call him a De-Ascended Being." Harry smirked. "Moros didn't like being Ascended and he kept returning to human form. He seemed rather disgruntled about it because he could never remember much about actually _being_ Ascended."

"That sounds familiar…" Daniel muttered.

"Oh?"

"I… What do you know about last year's missions?"

"I haven't gotten to many reports from last year yet… Although come to think of it, you weren't mentioned in the ones I read. Did you take a holiday?" Harry asked.

"Sort of. I received a massive dose of radiation poisoning and would have died except for an Ascended Being called Oma Desala. She helped me find the path to Ascension."

Harry looked him over and then poked him in the arm. "You look pretty solid to me."

Daniel smiled sadly, "I'm afraid I didn't agree with some of their 'Non-Interference' rules and got myself De-Ascended fairly quickly. I don't remember much about that time."

"Huh. No fooling? Blimey- I wonder if it's the actual process of Descending that causes the memory loss or perhaps it's a punishment or a deterrent against returning to the corporeal world. From what I've heard Ascended folks aren't a forgiving lot."

"No… they're not."

Harry continued to rummage through the crates. Most of the items were physically broken but occasionally one lit up or did something when he touched it. They set those off to one side.

Daniel examined the items. "Well Harry, you're definitely going to have to show this little talent of yours to the others. Sam's lab is full of Ancient stuff… All the gizmos get sent there. I'll bet she'll have a field day when she hears."

"Just so long as you lot remember I need to eat and sleep occasionally," Harry replied.

* * *

_**Training**_

Harry was enrolled in several classes for orientation and basic self-defense training. Colonel O'Neill said that everyone who entered the program was run through a series of training scenarios. A basic knowledge about the various weapons that SG teams used was also essential.

The first class was a general overview of the planets and cultures the SGC had encountered over the past seven years. This included both enemies and allies.

Currently the most threatening were the Gou'ald- snakelike parasitic race who preferred humans as hosts. They ruled over hundreds of worlds throughout the Milky Way with millions of transplanted human slaves. There was a rundown of all the Gou'ald system lords, their vast territories in the galaxy and their rank in the Gou'ald hierarchy. Anubis apparently was the current top-dog. By using his Kull warriors and advanced technology acquired from the Ancients and the Asgard, he was rapidly dominating his Gou'ald rivals and rising to the top of the midden heap.

Teal'c's people, the Jaffa, made up their armies. They were warrior trained from childhood to loyally serve the Gou'ald as their gods. Each Jaffa had a marsupial-like pouch to carry an infant Gou'ald larvae, which acted as their immune system. It gave them a long, healthy life, free from disease and healed their wounds. However, it also made them the virtual slaves to their Gou'ald masters because without a symbiote they would die. A recently discovered drug called Tretonin had begun to change this dependency and more Jaffa were beginning to rebel.

The Asgard had become Earth's allies but this small, benevolent and highly advanced race had its own problems. Their galaxy was slowly being overrun by a scourge of mechanical beings called Replicators whose only goal was to consume everything in their path and to make more of themselves.

Then there were the Tok'ra; a secret sect of the Gou'ald race who preferred a more symbiotic relationship with their host. Small in numbers, the Tok'ra operated mostly as spies and saboteurs amongst the other system Gou'ald System Lords. They had become the reluctant allies to the Earth-based Taur'i when Sam's father, who was dying of cancer, had agreed to host Selmak, one of the oldest Tok'ra.

There were many others: the Tollan, the Nox, the Reetou… etc. but those were the major players.

Harry, of course, had known about some of this through his studies with Moros. However his information was almost 800 years out of date and some of this was totally new because of current events.

Most fascinating to Harry were some of the contacts with the Alterrans. He'd noticed that the members of the SGC and Daniel Jackson in particular had had a rather idealized vision of them, at least until recently. Anubis demonstrated that Ascended Beings weren't always good.

If nothing else, living with Moros had showed Harry that the Ancients had been people. Highly intelligent, incredibly advanced and with amazing technology- yes… but people. Some good, some bad. Some flexible and conservative, some brilliant and average, and all with different concerns and interests.

The assigned readings included missions-reports from the base library as well as some essays by Dr. Jackson and Major Carter. All this persuaded Harry that he'd be more than happy to help where he could. Whether that was sharing what he knew about Alterran technology, archeology and languages, or picking up a gun to defend Earth was irrelevant. This project was worth carrying on.

He was tempted to explain about Camelot but she wasn't really his secret to share. She was _so_ special… Harry could understand why Moros didn't want to allow just anyone inside her. At the same time, as soon as Harry'd realized just what Camelot was… He'd longed to get her back to the way she was meant to be. Clean and alive with people and lights… and maybe one day she would actually fly. Just as she was originally supposed to. _I suppose a chat with Moros should be in the immediate future, _he thought. _I wonder if they would even be allowed inside the city…_

The second class involved the care and use of the various guns and armaments used by the SGC. The formidable P-90 submachine gun was the standard weapon because of its superior performance against the Jaffa's armor.

The instructor, Sergeant Logan, smiled like a used car saleman ringing up the final sale while he held his weapon up. "What we have here is the FN P-90 submachine gun, a blow-back operated, selective fire weapon. It's fed from a 50-round magazine made of translucent polymer." He held up the clip and then showed how it fit into place. "The P-90 is capable of firing 900 rounds per minute, which is why we carry extra clips in our vests. You can blow a 50-round clip in 3.3 seconds at full auto, but the P-90 has a two stage trigger so you can fire single or full-auto." He quickly demonstrated that feature.

"The spent cartridges eject downward so watch your toes," the Sergeant grinned. "The gun also features a day reticle and a low-light optical sight, that's for lowlight situations and is automatically adjustable. We're using a standard SS190 round, which can go through a car door as well as people. Once you get the handle of it, you can break down and clean the P-90 in under four minutes. Effective range is 200 meters. Controls are ambidextrous, and the safety's located right below the trigger. We've also got a laser scope, actually we have both visible and infrared, and the optional sound suppressor. Recoil is minimal. Any questions?"

Harry felt intimidated just listening to all that and checked to make sure the safety was on. _Definitely wouldn't want to fire the thing by accident, _he thought. He was also issued a Beretta sidearm, which sat easier in his hand. _It's much like aiming a wand once you get used to the recoil. I might actually get the hang of this one._

Both weapons made him a bit uneasy as he felt like some sort of John Wayne or Rambo wanna-be carrying them around. Not to mention that his first instinct was probably always going to be magic. Still, he dutifully learned how to clean them and then they trooped to the target range to try them out. At least he could say his aim was better than the three scientists in the class, but he definitely needed more practice. It was also difficult to hold up a personal shield while holding either weapon with both hands. Something else he'd have to work out.

The third class involved training scenarios. For the most part, it was learning about tactics that seemed to have worked against the Gou'ald in the past. As well as working through various simulations to get an idea of how to handle different situations in the field without actually getting anyone killed while learning. Their class group of eight was split into two teams of four and set to work.

Harry's team consisted of a team leader, Lieutenant Adam Brant- Airman Martin Duncan, who specialized in alien technology and -Lieutenant Maria Gonzalez, an expert marksman and a fair hand at demolitions- and Harry. Being the only non-military member, the others tended to ignore Harry. He mostly came along for the ride, paid attention and helped out discreetly where he could. (Stunners and tripping jinxes were especially useful and once he'd needed to put up a shield over Duncan) The obeying orders bit took some getting used to, especially since Lieutenant Brant was a year younger and from what he'd overheard had never actually been in combat before. Brant seemed to regard Harry as a civilian liability more than anything else and was constantly telling him to 'sit' while the others took care of the problem. One of these days Harry figured he'd bark and then go ahead and bite the man.

Harry found this attitude incredibly frustrating. It was also rather odd because the Lieutenant had never even asked about his qualifications. While Harry certainly wasn't a one-man army, he wasn't helpless either. Totally underestimating and ignoring one quarter of your strike team seemed a bit daft, not to mention short-sighted. Harry figured O'Neill would be giving Brant an earful about it at some point. So far, the only thing Brant had wanted him to do was translate some text to get a door open.

Still, the scenarios were interesting and he got plenty of observations on how a SG team operated. Mostly Harry set himself to watching the other's backs and quietly took care of any threats he could. It wasn't usually necessary- the others were all good at their jobs.

One good thing: with a bit of experimentation and a modified sticking charm, he'd found a way to attach a stunning spell to the bullets in the Beretta. This way even a graze would knock someone out. Harry didn't exactly trust his aim yet.

All the problems with his team would have eventually worked themselves out except for one thing: the other team leader.

Harry had had the dubious pleasure of meeting him just before the first orientation class when the Marine had deliberately tripped him. Hard laughter sounded as Harry had grabbed for a nearby desk to regain his balance and then turned around.

This bloke was huge- well over six feet and built like an ox. He reminded Harry of Goyle (complete with buzz cut and no neck) but with an obnoxious sneer that would have done Malfoy proud.

"Clumsy geek bastard," the large man snorted. "Doesn't even know how to walk properly. Guess we'll be babysittin' this one, all right!" His buddies laughed harder.

Harry glances down at the large combat boots stuck out in the aisle and knew he couldn't let this pass or he'd never hear the end of it. "Pardon me, but your appendages appear to be swelling out into the aisleway. Perhaps you should see the physician… Wouldn't want the blood to stop flowing to what little brain you have, now would we." Harry cast a delayed shrinking charm on the man's boots before walking away. (They should shrink down about two sizes over the next few hours.)

The man's face went an angry red. He'd looked like he wanted to detach Harry's head from his shoulders but the instructor entered the classroom and asked them to take their seats.

Harry had to smother a snort of laughter as the Marine's name was called: Lieutenant Douglas Dirk. He vaguely wondered if the Dursleys had ever discussed baby names with any Americans. He surfaced with a start as his own name was called and found Dirk glaring at him hard enough to strip skin off.

"Something funny, Potter?" Dirk growled.

"Just a memory, Dirk," Harry said. In truth, the situation did remind him of Ron's introduction to a certain bouncing ferret but he was smart enough not to share that with the Marine.

The day's mission involved a lot of hiking and Dirk's boots had given him a bumper crop of blisters. He actually had to see Fraiser. Rumor said that he blamed it all on Potter. Needless to say, the last five days had been interesting and the git had been on his case ever since. It wasn't so much that the git was constantly trying to harass him, Harry'd dealt with stuff like that all his life. It was the fact that the rest of his team seemed to have taken the 'useless geek' bilge seriously and never let him _do_ anything.

Today's scenario involved a heavily guarded Bunker at the base of a sixty-foot cliff. The bad guys had removed the Dialing Control Crystals from the DHD, which prevented the team from leaving. Their mission was to get inside the Bunker and retrieve the crystals (hopefully without getting caught) then return and fix and mock DHD.

The trainees and the opposing Jaffa were all armed with Intar stunning weapons. It was the first time the two teams had to work together. Lieutenant Brant and Dirk hammered out a basic plan to get inside. It involved having the teams work their way as close as possible along the ravine wall and putting a sharpshooter up on the opposite bluff to take out the guards at the bunker door. The teams could then rush the door and gain access. Brant nominated Gonzalez to be the sharpshooter and Dirk gave in with a sneer.

"Gonzalez!" he barked. "You're on the hill. Supposedly you can shoot better than you look. Fire on our signal. Oh- and take the British pansy with you, we don't need him lousing this up."

Harry felt Gonzalez stiffen beside him but she merely nodded. Harry thought his own jaw must resemble a rock. He'd probably need extensive dental work from grinding his teeth so much. He really wanted to protest but a quick look at the others confirmed their agreement.

So he sighed instead and followed Gonzalez to the path that led up the backside of the bluff. Harry felt his sense of humor returning as he listened to her muttering in Spanish- something about Dirk's ancestors being related to flea-infested, mentally challenged dogs. He smiled to himself and wondered if she'd like to help him get a Fred and George special into Dirk's locker when they got back. A Flea Fest Bomb should go a long ways torward proving her theory.

Which is how Harry and the Lieutenant had a marvelous view of the whole plan going sideways so fast that they never even made it to the sharpshooter part. The six men in the ravine were within 50 yards of the Bunker's entrance when at least 20 Jaffa surrounded them. There must have been a second, hidden entrance because half of the Jaffa came from behind them. After a brief scuffle, in which Dirk and one of his crew were Zat'ed, the rest were taken inside at staff point.

"Shit," muttered Gonzalez and they ducked down out sight.

"Well, they're inside…" Harry said dryly. "So far, Dirk's plan is working perfectly."

Gonzalez's glare could have curdled milk. "And what's _your_ plan, Hot Shot? Give up?"

"Well, seeing as how it's just you and me, Lieutenant… I think stealth is our only option," Harry replied calmly.

Gonzalez blinked. "You actually have a plan?" she asked a little more seriously.

Harry shrugged, "More like the _start_ of an idea. Let's check the other side of the Bunker ridge. If there's one hidden entrance, I'll bet there's another on that side."

"Okay… then what?"

"We'll have to see… I usually make this stuff up as I go along."

"Usually?"

* * *

It took them a good half hour to work their way off the bluff, past a Jaffa patrol and back around the opposite ridge. Sure enough there was another entrance but this one had only one guard and a rock pile blocked his view on the left. 

"Alright- first things first. What have you got on you that might help?"

Gonzalez bit her lip and started searching through her tack-vest pockets. "Quite few extra clips, grenade, smoke bomb, some C4, my canteen, and 2 power bars. Not much."

Harry dug his tiny emergency kit out of his pocket and enlarged it with a tap. Ignoring his team-mate's startled expression, Harry flipped through the contents. "Let's see, let's see… the scanner, yeah… ipod, ipod… oh yeah- my umbrella… and… Fred and George specials, of course." He quickly sorted through his WWW stash and found some SunBangers, Camouflage Clouds and a dozen Sound Sleepers before putting the rest back into his kit and shrinking it to pocket size again. "Alright then, that should do it.

Gonzalez was still staring at his odd assortment of goodies.

"Alright Lieutenant," Harry said. "This is my plan, such as it is… Feel free to point out ways to improve it." He pointed at the Ancient gadget he affectionately called his umbrella and began, "We use _this_ to get in…"


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Okay.. that was weird. It wouldn't let me load this without half a dozen tries. Huh. It also seems to have re-written my Chapter numbers to correspond with the number of documents. (There are technically 3 previews on this story.) Oh well, it's up anyways.

It's been very busy the last month and yes, for those of you that inquired I did go on vacation in mid July. Although I have to admit we all spent a lot of the time reading and re-reading Book 7. Which I gotta say I liked personally. I still can't believe JKR bumped off two of my favorite characters (Dobby and Hedwig) and I do hope all of you who threatened me for daring to harm a feather on Hedwig's head are writing equally crazed emails to her.

_**Chapter 16: Money Down on Potter**_

* * *

**Surveillance Room**

"So… How're they doing, Jack?" asked Daniel as he shut the door. Teal'c and Carter nodded to him as he took his seat.

Jack, who had been keeping tabs on the current training scenario, smirked. "Typical SG1 mission so far."

"That bad, huh?"

"Pretty much," Jack sighed. "So far they've managed to get themselves captured and thrown in the hoose-scow."

"All of them? It's been less than an hour!"

"Almost. What can I say, they're talented. A couple of them got Zat'ed too."

"Ah- the Electrocution Club. What about Harry?" Daniel asked.

"He has done well," said Teal'c.

"Yeah, he and Gonzalez are still free. They've circled 'round to the back of the Bunker." Jack gestured towards the camera screens. "Looks like they're planning a little jailbreak."

"Did you call this one already?" Daniel asked.

"Oh yeah- I put twenty on Potter retrieving the crystals and a barbeque on him using some sort of distraction. Sam's got them freeing the jailbirds and shooting their way out and Teal'c believes they'll split up and try for both. He's got two dozens donuts riding on that," Jack listed.

"Didn't leave me much… did you?" Daniel complained.

"Quit bellyachin'! Are you in or what?"

"Keep your shorts on, I'm thinking. Oh- I know… Twenty on Harry getting the crystals with some Italian at Giovanni's on alien technology or something he brought from England."

"All right, all right. That'll work," said Jack. "We've got a pretty good sized pool running for this one."

"Colonel," said Carter and pointed at the monitor covering the back of the Bunker. "Looks like they're starting."

Potter and Gonzalez were standing close together behind a rock wall about 30 yards from the entrance. Potter said something to his team-mate and she nodded. Then he raised a black tube above their heads with an odd movement. Almost like putting up an umbrella. There was a strange bobble to the air around them, similar to a mirage on a hot day and the two people vanished.

"What the hell?" muttered Jack.

"Neat trick!" said Daniel.

"Indeed," said Teal'c.

Carter immediately checked their surveillance equipment. Not only were the cameras all operating normally, but Potter and Gonzalez had disappeared from the infrared and other sensors as well.

"Crap! How're we suppose to know who won the bet?" complained Jack.

"Well, score one for alien technology," smiled Daniel. "He didn't pick that thing up at Walmart."

* * *

_**The Bunker**_

Harry rattled off his basic plan and turned to find Lieutenant Gonzalez staring at him like she'd never seen him before. Given the brush-off treatment the others had been showing him, perhaps she hadn't.

"Lieutenant?" Harry asked as he pulled out the umbrella. It was a thin, black, sliding tube over a crystalline structure with a gem-like crystal knob at the top end.

She blinked and then ran a hand through her short, black cap of hair. "Uh- Will this… umbrella cloak thing really work?"

"Oh yeah… I've used it before. The biggest problem with the umbrella is that it only has a total diameter of about five feet. So you'll have to stay close- within an armslength- or you'll step outside of it. Alright?"

"Anything else I should know about it?" Gonzalez asked looking a bit dubious but game.

"Well, it cloaks voices so you can talk freely under it, but it doesn't hide our physical trail (footprints and such) nor will it stop a stunner or a bullet." _Or a spell of any kind…_ Harry thought to himself.

"What about someone walking into us?" she asked.

"Uh… I fixed it, so that's not a problem anymore," Harry answered. Actually, he'd added a repelling charm to the umbrella after an unfortunate incident in Cairo. He'd been trailing an artifact thief through some narrow, back streets when the man had suddenly turned a 180 and slammed right into him. They'd gone tail over teakettle. The paranoid thief had freaked and gone a bit mental. He'd whipped out a machine pistol and shot up the entire alleyway. (Incidentally, that was how Harry'd found out the umbrella didn't stop bullets.) The whole fiasco had ended with a bad flesh wound, a stunned and confused thief hauled off by the local police and a pissed off Bill Weasley. (They never had located the thief's middleman, but that was a whole other story.)

Lieutenant Gonzalez shot him a narrow-eyed stare. _Opps! Said too much, _he thought. "So… you ready?"

She hefted her P-90 into position and stepped close enough to touch shoulders. After a short nod she said, "Ready."

Harry took the umbrella and pushed the crystal knob outward while pulling on the cylindrical, black casing. The inner bundle of blue crystals emerged until fully exposed. Then Harry gave a sharp twist of the casing to turn the cloak on. It clicked. The crystal knob glowed as the air around them fluctuated and they found themselves looking out through a shimmering blue veil. Harry held the cloak up over their heads by the black tube, which doubled as a handle.

They moved slowly towards the Bunker's entrance. Harry felt Gonzalez tense up as they stepped from behind the cover of the rock wall and out into the open. The guard paced back and forth by the door but didn't give any sign of noticing them.

They moved past him and Harry dropped a Sleep Bomb near his post for later. How to get through the door un-noticed was a bigger problem. Fortunately, a second guard came through just as they reached it (nearly taking off Harry's foot in the process) They slipped through and down the dimly lit hallway, past several more guards and down a flight of stairs. They were quietly debating which way to go next when two guards came down the hall carrying the team's weapons. The one on the left was laughing.

"… And then! Dirk went down so fast- after all his bragging yesterday about whupping our asses. Ha! This set-up was _too_ easy. As soon as the others catch those last two, we can all call it a day."

His companion grunted, "Shouldn't take too long… not with most of us out lookin'."

"Yeah, let's stow this stuff and get back to the detention area. You want to go to Flanigan's for a beer after we get done?"

"Sure," the second guard said as they put the weapons in a storage room and came back out. They turned and headed back the way they'd come.

Harry snickered, "I take it Lieutenant Dickhead, I mean, Dirk is a git with everyone…"

"Pretty much," Gonzalez said. She ripped of her backpack. "Wait here a second."

Harry disengaged the umbrella as she darted into the storage room and stuffed the team's P-90s into her pack. He tucked the black tube into his vest and pulled out another small device.

Gonzalez came out of the closet to see him examining a 3-D digital display with tiny colored dots moving around it. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you, Doc?" she said wryly.

Harry threw her a smile, "Everyone has them Lieutenant, you just have to look."

"Fancy, high-tech gizmos that can be used to infiltrate enemy strongholds? Somehow, I don't' think I'll be finding anything like that in my tact kit."

"Perhaps not. I only meant appearances don't tell the whole story… You certainly aren't someone I pictured as able to puncture a tire on a moving vehicle at 1000 yards." He turned back to the Map floating above the device and tapped a group of six dots clustered tightly together, which promptly turned blue. "Alright, I think these are probably our mates. These two are those guards… " He pointed at two moving white dots. "And this is us… " Two stationary blue dots. "It looks like the detention area is down one level to the left." Harry pushed the zoom-out button and the Map backed out to show the whole complex.

Gonzalez gestured to the two white dots guarding their team-mates and to the other two guards heading back. "We should take those guards before they get back, otherwise it'll be all four at once."

Harry nodded. "If we go this way…" he suggested an incepting course. "I think we could get ahead of them."

"Agreed."

"Well…" Harry bowed and gestured grandly towards the side corridor. "Best foot forward."

His team-mate nodded with a slight smile and they set off at a jog. Harry kept an eye on the Digital Marauder's Map as he trotted after her. Besides a scattering of white dots, (presumably guards) there was a room- back up on the second level with four dots positioned at the doors and four more inside another room behind it. _Interesting… _He studied how to get there, before switching the Map back to its 2-Dimensional, local mode and tucking it into his vest.

It was easy to locate the two guards even without the Map. For one thing, the talkative one rarely shut up.

Harry and Gonzalez edged up to the corner. She signaled for him to take the one on the outside.

As soon as the guards passed the corner, Harry lunged for the quieter one on the left, using all the speed he could. Since they wanted this fast and quiet, Harry didn't even bother to hit the startled man. He just placed a hand on his shoulder and stunned him. Harry caught the body as he slumped and eased him to the floor.

Gonzalez, meanwhile, had effectively silenced the second guard with a vicious blow to the throat, a kick to the knee took him down and a double conk across the back of the head put him out for the count. Harry winced sympathetically, suddenly very glad she was on his side.

They dragged the bodies into a side room and closed the door. After a quick glance at Harry's Map, the two team-mates continued towards the brig.

* * *

For the prisoners, the day wasn't going so well. 

Lieutenant Brant mused over the situation. First, they stick my team together with Dirk the Jerk's (possibly the most arrogant ass he'd ever met.) Then, their mission went pear-shaped before it even got started, they'd wound up caught and thrown in the brig. That, plus listening to Corporal Henderson going over what they'd done wrong for the twentieth time in an hour had his nerves about ready to snap.

Their physical conditions weren't in much better shape. Dirk was still unconscious from being stunned and Sergeant Arnold had only just woken up and was still rather groggy. Brant's right hand and wrist were badly swollen from when he'd attempted to resist being placed in the cell. The guard had whacked it into the bars pretty hard and then twisted it before he could pull it out again.

Their only chance for rescue lay with Lieutenant Gonzalez and she wouldn't be able to bust them out single-handedly. Potter certainly wouldn't be of any help…

He checked his watch. There were only a couple more hours before the mission would be called and there was no denying it had been a complete disaster for the trainees. They'd be lucky if O'Neill didn't wash them straight out of the program.

Brant looked over at the guards. He had hoped for a chance to break out and had the healthy members of their group prepped for action, but the guards had never come near the cell, let alone entered it. They were standing on either side of the corridor across from the entranceway. Occasionally, they would walk the length of the cellblock and then exchange places.

They were passing each other on the way back to their posts when a small, green ball, about the size of a walnut, came to a bouncing halt near their feet. Nothing happened.

The one guard poked at it with his boot and then reached down to pick it up. The other guard moved in for a closer look, whereupon the ball exploded in a _POOF_ of greenish, colored smoke.

"Get back," Brant barked at the other trainees, who all moved to the back of the cell.

"ACHOO! ACHOO!"

They all watched in amazement as the two guards began to sneeze violently. They couldn't seem to stop.

"ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO!"

The larger guard actually fell to one knee, coughing and sneezing and desperately trying to catch his breath. The second one wasn't much better. They certainly had no chance when Gonzalez and Potter came in through the entranceway and stunned them with their In'tar sidearms.

Potter holstered his 9 mil and came over to study the keypad for the cell door. He glanced inside at the prisoners, taking in their battered appearance.

"It's a beautiful day outside Lieutenant," he said. "You shouldn't spend all of it indoors…"

Brant didn't quite know how to answer him.

Sergeant Duncan stepped forward with a grin. "We'd love to come out and play but it seems we've been locked in our room. Any chance you can get that door open?"

Potter grinned back. "Maybe." He studied the symbols on the 6-button keypad a bit more. "Ah- I think this might work." The door slid open.

The prisoners filed happily out of their cell with Wesley and Henderson hauling Dirk and Brant helping Arnold.

"Why is Dirk still unconscious?" asked Gonzalez. "It's been over forty minutes and Arnold's coming around."

"The guards that ambushed us were rather… enthusiastic about Zat'ing Dirk," explained Henderson. "He got hit at least twice. Probably be dead if their Zat's weren't set with In'tars."

"Well, it couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke," Potter said and then looked at Gonzalez. "Why don't you give everybody back their toys, Lieutenant?"

Gonzalez slipped off her backpack and began to hand back their In'tar P-90s as well as a couple of handguns. "Sorry if any are missing, but this is all I found. I didn't see your radios either," she said as she handed Brant his Beretta.

The Lieutenant braced Arnold against the wall and stepped forward to take it but his hand was too swollen to grip the handle. He would have dropped the gun altogether if he hadn't grabbed it with his other hand.

Potter frowned as Brant awkwardly eased the Beretta into its holster with his left hand.

"What happened to your hand, Brant?"

Brant cleared his throat, embarrassed. "Uhm… Failed escape attempt. It's nothing. Just a sprain."

"It'll still slow you down…" Potter looked like he was considering something. "Lieutenant… I think it's going to be up to you to get Arnold and Dirk out of here. Wesley and Henderson can help and guard your backsides."

"Now, wait just a minute- I'm the only team leader here with Dirk out of commission and-" Brant found himself sputtering angrily.

He's right Brant," said Gonzalez. "You're in no shape to do much of anything with a bum hand. The best course would be for you to get the wounded out of here. Arnold's woozy but on his feet. Take turns carrying Dirk. That'll leave one or two of you guarding your six. It'll work."

"What about the rest of you?" Brant demanded.

"Duncan, Gonzalez and I will retrieve the crystals and meet you at the starting point," Potter said calmly.

"You?!"

"Us, actually…"

Brant stared at the civilian and found a confidence he hadn't expected. No bragging or bravado. Just a simple faith in his own abilities. As well as a glint of steely determination.

"We can do this, Brant. The Doc's been solid," Gonzalez said.

"Absolutely," chirped Duncan.

Potter didn't say anything. He just stood there waiting.

"All right… " he relented. "Both teams should probably have a radio…"

"Here," Potter nodded and handed over his.

"I expect you to report your progress and if you get into any trouble…" Brant said, trying to appear in charge.

"Oh- of course."

Brant gave Potter a stern look and then relaxed. "So… Any ideas on the best way to get out of here?"

Potter pulled a small device out of his vest and flicked a button. The most amazing 3-D Map appeared. "I've got a couple."

"Whoa! I'll bet that comes in handy."

All of them studied the schematic.

Potter pointed to the room with the guards. "Probably where the control crystals are, I'm thinking."

Brant considered the layout of the Bunker. "You know… if we'd set a couple of charges… Here… and here… on our way out-"

"We could use the distraction to get in past the guards-" said Duncan.

Potter shook his head. "Getting in's the easy part, I'd rather save the distraction for getting out. How about this…"

* * *

_**Commissary **_

"So then I grabbed the crystals out of the box and three more guards come busting in. They laid into us and Potter just whipped up the box-lid as a shield. The weapons' blasts go ricocheting every which way and then there's this huge crash behind us, right?

Gonzalez and I took out the three guards and then we heard this cursing, right?" Martin Duncan paused for effect and snickered. "So, then we all turn around. And here's SG1 picking themselves off the floor. The shots blew out the viewing window in the surveillance room. There was glass everywhere… O'Neill was cussin' a blue streak… Jackson and Carter were tryin' to get the glass out of their hair and clothes… Teal'c apparently dove under the table, cause that's where he was."

Duncan stopped to take a drink, enjoying the way his audience, except for Harry and Maria Gonzalez, fidgeted impatiently.

"So then what?" someone said.

Duncan grinned and slapped Harry on the back hard enough to joggle his soda out of the can. Harry gave him an annoyed glare and grabbed a napkin.

The big man blithely ignored the glare. "So… then Doc here, he says- just as cool as you please- 'Interesting clubhouse you've got down here… Is there a secret handshake? Or can anyone join?'"

The group burst out laughing, even Lieutenant Brant smiled.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Hey, I apologized for breaking their windows, did I not?"

Gonzalez looked across the table at him. "I don't think 'Oops- Sorry about the glass…' and promising not to play cricket indoors counts Doc."

Harry smiled to himself, remembering the look on O'Neill's face. "Well, it seemed adequate at the time."

The group began to break up and move off now that Duncan's story was over, leaving Harry with only his training team.

"Hey Doc! Where'd you get that cool map doohickey anyway?" Duncan asked cheerfully.

"Cool map doohickey?" Harry shook his head. "It's just something interesting that I picked up a few years ago."

"I thought you'd never been off-world Potter?" Brant said curiously.

"I haven't."

"Then how'd-"

"Let's just say that there's plenty of useful artifacts lying around our own world Brant… if you have an idea where to look."

"Is that where you got the umbrella cloak as well, Doc?" asked Gonzalez.

"Different location but yes."

"The devices are Ancient tech, correct?"

"Yeah, mostly. Some of them- like the umbrella- can be used by anyone and some- like the Map- turn on only for certain people. I'm not sure why yet."

"I'm beginning to see why Command wanted you in the program, Potter," Brant said. "How long have you been 'looking' around?"

"Several years now."

"Hmm… How long have you known SG1?"

Harry cleared his throat. "Uh-hum… Not that long," he said briefly. "We accidentally bumped into one another."

"Brad Davis said you helped them get Daniel Jackson out of a jam in England. That right?" asked Duncan.

Harry shrugged, "Just some intel about some unfriendlies and a foot in the right door was all. We got Daniel back, that was the important thing."

"Hmm… right."

Brant was giving him a shrewd, assessing look that made Harry nervous. _Maybe I'm just absolute rubbish at this keeping secrets game… _It had been a long time since he'd lived and worked closely with so many others, Muggles especially.

"Whalp- It's been fun but I'd best be off sirs. I've got a session with Major Carter next. Catch ya later." Duncan stood and pushed in his chair before grabbing his try. "You too, Doc. It's been a slice. You should help out more often." With that final thought, the big man slapped Harry on the shoulder and walked off.

_It's like having Hagrid around, _Harry thought as he recovered from nearly being knocked off his chair.

Gonzalez and Brant rose also. "We'd better get going too, Potter. All new officers are scheduled for a 'chat' with some of the old hands today."

"Yeah, I've got one with Dr. Jackson about a book I gave him," Harry said, glancing at his watch. "It's not for another hour though."

Lieutenant Brant considered Harry for a long moment, before speaking. "Duncan's right, Dr. Potter and from now on I'll expect you to contribute just as much on _every_ mission."

"Not a total civilian liability, Lieutenant?"

"No." Brant looked rather embarrassed. "I try not to make the same mistake twice… What about you?"

"Sounds like a noble goal. I agree." He held out a hand. "Pax?"

Brant shook the offered hand firmly. "Pax."

As they turned to leave, Gonzalez tossed Harry a small wave. "You're all right, Doc."

"Same to you, Lieutenant."

Harry sat there contemplating the unappetizing piece of mystery meat left on his tray with satisfaction. _There's nothing quite like an utter fiasco and a little adrenalin to churn out potential mates… _he thought idly when he noticed the nurse with long, dark hair sit down at the table near the door.

* * *

_**The General's Office**_

"Was there some reason for all of SG1 to be present in the Bunker during this morning's training exercise, Colonel?" asked General Hammond pointedly. "I was under the impression that Major Carter and Dr. Jackson were hard at work on the artifacts from M1F-577." The general leveled his 'I-mean-business' stare at O'Neill, who squirmed a bit.

"Well sir, I'm sure they were only, uh… swinging by on a routine check up of the training procedures."

"They were, were they?" Hammond said. "And it had nothing to do with Dr. Potter's team being involved or the fact that you're providing a barbeque for everyone this Friday night, right?"

"Right. Of course not sir, I've been meaning to do that for a while now." Jack's face brightened. "Carter's stuck bringing the beer. You should stop by, if you've got the time."

"Hmm… What's this I heard about Dr. Potter taking out the surveillance windows in the Bunker's Control Room."

"Bit of an accident sir. He deflected some weapons fire and-" Jack broke off at a quiet knock on the General's office door.

Dr. Janet Fraiser peeked around the doorframe. "Excuse me General, but I've completed Dr. Potter's baseline medical exam," she said.

"Of course Doctor, come in," Hammond gestured to the other chair. "Everything checks out I hope?"

"Yes, as far as the physical parameters for joining the SGC. He's most definitely human and quite healthy. However, that wasn't what I wanted to speak with you about…" She was hugging a thick medical file, which she handed over to Hammond.

"Holy crap, Doc!" said Jack. "That's his baseline? How many tests did you run?"

Hammond idly glanced through the top few pages before looking up at Fraiser when she didn't go on.

"What is it, Doctor?"

"Most of the report, while interesting from a medical point of view isn't particularly relevant. The problem is that the test results I've gotten back have shown a few… anomalies that I'm not able to explain."

"Such as?"

"Well, first off, he has a very strongly developed immune system. His white blood cell and antibody counts are higher than normal. I would guess that Dr. Potter is rarely ill and most infections would have little chance of spreading," Fraiser replied.

"Well… that's a good thing, right?" Jack said.

"Yes, of course. It's just not what I would consider 'normal'," the doctor shot back.

"What else, Doctor?" asked Hammond.

"Well, Major Carter asked me to do some scans on his hands and arms, to look for an implant- one of those 'wand' weapons you found in England? She thought that it would explain how Dr. Potter was able to do some of the things you saw him do…"

"And?" asked Jack. "I take it he does?"

"Ah- no," the doctor answered. "There's nothing to indicate a foreign object of any kind, implant or otherwise."

"So there goes that theory…" Jack said.

"Well, we have run across individuals who are capable of some amazing things before… Look at your Cassandra," said Hammond, quite reasonably Jack thought, considering that they were talking about someone who apparently could shoot Zat'-like stunners from his hands.

"Dr. Jackson was able to confirm his theory that this Moros was once ascended. He seems to have retained most of his knowledge when he returned to his physical form. Dr. Potter says that he studied and trained under Moros from the time he was fifteen… Given that training and this ability of Potter's… " The General shook his head. "I have the feeling we haven't even scratched through the surface yet."

"Well, no matter how he does it, I've noticed Potter's mighty cagey about using it, especially around people he doesn't know. The thing with the Gate caught him by surprise or I doubt he'd have said anything in front of us. He certainly hasn't done anything similar that I've seen since coming to America."

"That we know of, Colonel. Are you sure you still want him for your team?"

Jack grinned, thinking about the little 'Daniel Retrieval Op' Potter'd planned in England and the recently salvaged training mission. "I think he'll fit in just fine sir. If nothing else, he's someone for Daniel to natter on at besides me."

"Very well." The general turned back to Fraiser. "Was there anything else of interest Doctor? Or was that all?"

"No sir, I'm afraid I saved the big one for last."

"Big one?" asked Jack.

"Yes, there's something I'd like to show you." She pulled a CD from the pocket of her white lab coat and walked over the corner computer, where she slid the disc in and brought up the files before turning back to Jack and the General.

"Colonel, I've heard about Dr. Potter's response to the first time the Stargate was active near him. It seems to suggest a… sensitivity toward energy fluctuations, although we'd have to run some more tests to be sure… But what exactly did you see him do in England that caused Major Carter to suspect a 'wand' implant?"

"Well, the best view we had was when Potter was attacked at his friend's house. It looked like he did something with his hands. I saw at least two different motions. One was defensive- like this-" Jack held up the palm of his hand as if calling a halt. "The wand blasts seemed to hit an invisible wall and then dissipate. The other one was a throwing motion. Sometimes a colored light was involved and sometimes not," Jack paused. "Then he got hit and was thrown into a wall. Those wand things do pack a punch."

"Where is all this going, Doctor? And what does it have to do with what you wanted to show us?" asked General Hammond.

Janet hesitated, "It's just that I thought I saw him do something in the Infirmary but I wasn't sure."

"What?"

"Well, I was having a difficult time with some of the equipment. It was shorting out or just stopping and then starting again… I was turning back when I thought he made this circular motion with his hand." She demonstrated.

"So you think he screwed with your tests… or did something to your equipment?"

"No, that's just it. The machines ran fine after that. I'm more inclined to think he fixed the problem than otherwise."

"So what was it you wanted to show me?" asked the general.

Fraiser turned and tilted the computer screen towards them. It showed schematics of the human brain from several viewpoints- top and sides.

"Ok, this represents an average human brain and its activity." The image showed a mostly neutral-colored cortex covered with small patches of colors, ranging from blues and greens to reds and oranges. The colors fluctuated as the red parts intensified and then faded back toward the cooler colors.

"The colors correspond with synaptic activity. Neutral for little to no activity, blues and greens for midrange and reds and oranges for high activity. On average, people typically use between 5-10 of their total brain functionally at any given time. As you can see by the colors, different outside activities will activate different parts and cause a rise in the corresponding parts of the brain."

"And Dr. Potter?" asked Hammond curiously.

"That's the interesting part sir," Dr. Fraiser said. She hit several keys and the schematic showed a brain with much more color. Rather than small patches, the whole image was a blue-green with larger red-orange patches that deepen into purple.

"What, exactly, are we looking at here, Doctor?"

"Dr. Potter's brain activity is much higher than average sir. He's using approximately 25-30 and apparently that's quite normal for him."

"So he's smarter than us?" asked Jack_. It wasn't such a shock, just about everybody was smarter than him._

"Not so much smarter sir. I'd say it's more a matter of having a phenomenal memory and he's probably able to work multiple problems at one time. You can see here-" she pointed at the darker blue areas around the upper temporal region. "His center for phonics and language are highly developed. They probably come very easily for him."

"So he's smarter than us."

Fraiser ignored him and looked at the General. "There are two other brain-scans I've been comparing Dr. Potter's with." The doctor brought up two more scans. She pointed to the one on the left. It looked closer to the 'average' brain, except for large, dark blue areas near the temporal region. "This one is from Jonas Quinn. As you know, his people have developed impressive memory centers, allowing for rapid learning and retention of information. His scan shows the higher activity in the temporal and frontal lobes which deal with memory… and this…" Fraiser indicated the final scan, which was almost entirely red-orange. "This one is yours Colonel, while you had the Ancient Repository downloaded into you."

Jack made a face. "Right."

"Your functionality was up to 90 at that point, hence the large amount of red." The doctor typed some more and split the screen into four quadrants showing the four brains- the 'average' brain, Quinn's, Potter's and Jack's.

"From looking at these, I'd say Dr. Potter is the next level up from Jonas Quinn- since he only had one area operating at 20, but nowhere near as advanced as Jack's downloaded state. Which is a good thing since it nearly killed you."

"So, what does this mean in terms of Dr. Potter joining the SGC, Doctor?" Hammond asked.

Janet Fraiser sighed. "I'm not entirely sure… We'd have to run a lot more tests and I do mean _a lot _to come any closer to understanding exactly how his brain functions and what he can do sir. Not to mention that Dr. Potter would have to agree for us to take it any further.

I'm not much for speculation sir but perhaps the training from an ascended being had something to do with it. That would be very hard to verify given that we don't' have assess to any kind of scans from when Dr. Potter was younger.

For the moment, looking at what we found so far, I'd say you have an exceptionally healthy, gifted young man, who's trying to fit in here." She stood up. "I guess the question you should be asking is – Would you want him to be with anyone else?"

"The Trust, the NID, Area 51…" Jack suggested helpfully.

The general shot him an annoyed glance. "I get the point, Colonel. Thank you, Dr. Fraiser. I'll think about what you said."

* * *

_**Commissary**_

Harry watched the dark-haired nurse as she sat down and began eating.

There were no obvious signs that she was magical. She had on standard, blue BDUs under a white lab coat. There were no charmed objects that he could see. (Witches often seemed to put on Never Smudge Makeup or Ever Sparkle Charms on their jewelry.) The nurse's earrings were small, plain gold hoops. If she had a wand, it was either under her lab coat or perhaps she had an invisible fore-arm holster.

Harry sighed to himself. _This is getting me nowhere… _he thought.

He stood and walked over to dump his mystery meat and leftovers into the trash receptacle. After placing the tray on the stack of dirty ones, he wandered over to the coffee counter and fixed himself what could laughingly be referred to as 'tea'.

_Americans… _he thought with a snort. _I'll definitely need to send Dobby back home for some Earl Grey._

Cup in hand, Harry turned back toward his potential witch. _Alright, I'll just walk over and ask. No problem. _He idly wondered why he was more nervous about approaching a woman eating lunch than he would be about a smiling, axe-wielding goblin horde. _Actually… come to think of it, I probably wouldn't be nervous at all in that instance-_ _they'd either talk it out or fight. Simple._

_Enough stalling. Gryffindors Go Forward._

He quietly walked over to stand opposite her chair and waited for her to look up from the book she had propped up on the condiment's caddy. Something about herbal teas.

Her dark brown eyes sharpened a bit but she just looked at him curiously without saying anything.

"Umm… Hi. We met a few days ago, but I don't think anyone mentioned your name."

There was a pause before she said, "Lieutenant Anne Fairwell."

"I'm Harry Potter."

"Yes, I heard."

"Right. Uh- May I sit down?" Harry pointed at the chair across from her.

The Lieutenant nodded politely and closed her book.

Harry set his cup of tea down and slid into the chair. He looked up to find her watching him with an intense stare that made him feel like a bug under an Inspectoscope.

"I just wanted to compliment you on your Dampening Wards in the Infirmary," he said.

"How do you know it was me?" she asked puzzled.

Harry smiled, "Well, for one thing, you seem to know what they are… But actually, it was just a guess."

"Wasn't that a bit dangerous? I could have been a Mundane."

"Mundane? We call them Muggles in Britain. As for guessing wrong… That could have been a bit sticky… but I wasn't, was I?"

The Lieutenant's voice took on a slightly sarcastic edge. "Big-headed often?"

Harry felt his cheeks redden. "Uh-umm. I hope not." _This wasn't going very well… _he thought. "I don't know any other Magicals around here. I mean… I guess I thought it would be nice to talk to someone where I wouldn't have to watch every word out of my mouth, was all. Sorry I interrupted your reading… I'll go." He made to stand up.

Now it was her turn to flush and she quickly reached out to stop him from going. "No. I'm the one who should apologize. I just couldn't help wondering why-" She stopped and cleared her throat. "You're right. There aren't many Magicals around here and it probably would be nice to have someone to talk to in that respect."

"You're sure?"

"Stay."

"Arf. Arf."

She wrinkled her nose. "Oh, very funny."

Harry grinned and put up a Silence Bubble. "So… what's a witch doing in the Air Force Medical Corp? Are you a Healer as well as a nurse?"

"As a matter of fact I am," she said proudly. "As for the Air Force, my father served as a medic when he was young. After I received my Trauma-Healer's Robes, I wanted to study some alternative forms of medicine.

The old ways are all well and good but I believe there are many ways they could be vastly improved. The Mundanes have made some incredible advances over past 30 years or so. I plan to incorporate some…" Her voice trailed off at the amused look Harry was giving her. "Sorry- you really shouldn't get me started on that."

"No, no. _Everyone_ should have something they feel so strongly about," Harry said, thinking of Hermione and SPEW or Ron and Quiddtich.

"You have a very good point as well, and not just about medicine. We Wizards often seem to ignore everything outside of our little world- good and bad. It's a horrible habit of ours."

"Exactly."

"What about the SGC? Why here?"

"Well, let's face it, this place not only has the latest, cutting-edge medical equipment and Earth-based techniques but brand new and fascinating alien discoveries are constantly coming in. Frankly, I don't know of many people who wouldn't give just about _anything_ to get involved. You're here, aren't you?" Her dark eyes twinkled.

"Touche'," Harry's eyes twinkled back.

"So… What _exactly_ brings THE Harry Potter to America besides an interest in the Stargate program?"

Harry made a face. _I hate being famous…_

"Honestly? I'm still not entirely sure." He paused and considered. "England was… chilly. And there was something about O'Neill and the others…" Harry shrugged. "I like them. The Stargate program sounded fascinating… and fun!" He grinned at her.

"Humph!"

"What's that mean?"

"It means that I have to help patch up the holes in the people who come back through the Gate. I'm not sure 'fun' is the correct word."

Harry went serious. "I suppose not… Have you ever been off-world?"

"Only twice. The medical teams don't get to go very often."

"Do you want to?"

She paused and considered. "I guess I do. It's partly why I signed on here." The Lieutenant sighed and pushed her leftover food around before glancing idly at her watch. Her face stiffened as she looked back up. "I have to get going… I'm due back in the Infirmary in five minutes."

Harry stood when she did and eyed his own watch. "Yeah, I'm with Dr. Jackson this afternoon. Well… thanks for talking to me. Maybe we can do this again sometime." He canceled the Silence Bubble with a flick of his wrist and a small pop.

Anne Fairwell glanced around in surprise. "Did you just… I mean, without a…"

Harry shrugged. It wasn't a big deal.

"You're not what I expected, Harry Potter."

"I'm just me, Lieutenant."

"My friends call me Anne."

"Harry."

"Well Harry… It's been nice talking to you. I guess I'll be seeing you around?"

"Around. That's me. You never know where I'll be stuck to the walls or ceiling."

Anne smiled, "Well, don't fall on anyone or I'll have to patch up two of you. Bye, Harry." With a wave, she was gone.

"Bye."

Harry grabbed his empty cup and pitched it into the trash on his way out of the Commissary. He found himself whistling a jaunty tune he'd heard the last time he'd been to Ireland.

_Definitely a good day…_

As Harry turned the corner to head for the lift, he walked smack into what felt like a brick-wall and bounced back into the real wall, trying to regain his balance.

"Well, well- If it isn't the-little-geek-who-saved-the-day?" snarled a rough voice.

Dirk. _Talk about a mood-killer._

"Well, if it isn't the-git-who-spent-the-day-unconscious? How's the head, Dirk?"

An inarticulate growl came from the burly Lieutenant. "Thumpin', which is what I'm going to do to you if you spread any more lies about me around here."

"Lies? No offense Dirk, but you're not high enough on my priority list for me to spend _any_ time talking about you. I wouldn't worry about it though… From what I can see you need as much beauty sleep as you can get."

The man's face darkened and he stepped closer, leaving Harry no choice but to press back into the wall if he didn't want to be knocked out by the man's breath. _Whoo!_

"Let me make this plain, Potter. If I hear one more snide comment about the snafu this morning, you're going to find yourself doing some intensive training, resulting in a long stay in the Infirmary with broken bones. Are we clear?"

Harry's eyes went cold. "Oh- Crystal. However- Let _me_ say that I've been threatened by people much worse than you and well… let's just say that I'm still around and they're not, alright?"

"You've been warned, Potter. People like you don't belong here." With a final snarl, Dirk shoved Harry hard enough to smack his head into the wall before stalking off.

"Ouch." Harry rubbed the back of his head gingerly. _Great! Just what I need… A moron who outweighs me by several stone, has arms like a gorilla and holds a grudge. Just perfect. What is he? Seven? Feels like I'm back in grade school dealing with Dudley and the gang…_

A wicked grin flitted across his face. _Of course, I couldn't retaliate with Dudley… Payback's can be a bitch._

After peeking around the corner into the Commissary and sending off a couple of spells, he felt much better. He continued on his way, once again whistling his Irish tune.

_In spite of a few setbacks, it was still a good day…_

Behind him in the Commissary, the muffled sound of laughter floated out into the hallway but Harry was long gone.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Next chapter has arrived. A bit shorter than usual but this seemed like the best place to stop plotwise. The whole conversation with Daniel about the Lost City gave me fits. Hopefully it works... TTFN, Jewels**  
**

_**Chapter 17: Down the Rabbit Hole**_

* * *

"_When we walk to the edge of the unknown and take that step, we must believe one of two things will happen. There will be something solid for us to stand on… or we will be taught to fly."_

_-Patrick Overton_

* * *

_**Daniel's Den**_

"So Daniel… What exactly has you so fascinated about this book anyways?" a voice asked curiously.

Daniel looked up from his place between several piles of reference books and blinked owlishly at Harry Potter, who peered over his shoulder at the copied pages of the travel journal from England. Daniel had the original journal propped up on a special stand with his notes and translations spread out in front of him.

"Huh?" he said, slightly less than coherent. "Oh- The journal. Yes, right." Daniel straightened up and idly pushed his glasses back in place. "Have you ever looked through it yourself, Harry?"

"No, not really. As I said, it was part of a large number of books left to me by the headmaster of my school, Albus Dumbledore, when he died last year. There were hundreds of amazing and rare works involved… and Herbology… er, Botany has never been a real passion of mine. I'm afraid I just filed it with the other journals and forgot about it. Why?"

Daniel moved over and tugged the second chair from the corner, giving the other man a place to sit.

"Here. Sit down and I'll show you."

He explained his theory about the pictorial gate addresses and showed Harry the compiled list: 42 sets of six symbols.

Harry ran a finger down the list of symbols and an odd faraway expression came over his face. "Of course…" he whispered. "Milky Way constellations... No wonder it wouldn't work… they're different."

"What's different?" asked Daniel in confusion.

"Huh?" Harry jerked and blinked at him. "Oh- sorry. Just realized something obvious. It's nothing. Um… So back with what you were saying… Have you compared them with the gate addresses in your computer system? Do they check out?"

Daniel considered him for a few seconds but let it go. "Actually yes, I did first thing when I got back. All 42 correspond with addresses downloaded from the Ancient Repository."

"Sweet!"

"I talked with General Hammond and we'd like to bump up the priority of these addresses, especially if the translations yield any hints about what the locations were used for during the time of the Ancients."

"No pressure, just get cracking, eh?"

"Right. Unfortunately, I'm neither a biologist nor a botanist, so wading through the flora and fauna descriptions trying to find any references to the locations is proving very time consuming. Wanna help?" Daniel asked hopefully.

"Sounds perfectly riveting, Daniel," Harry said with a straight face. "Alright, hand a few over and I'll do some wading with you." The younger man cleared off a section on the corner table, before turning and accepting a stack of copied pages from the journal as well as some of Daniel's notes. "Anything promising so far?"

Daniel sighed. "Well, I've identified three so far as places we've already gated to- the Ancient Repository P3R-272, the Meeting Place for the Great Alliance of the Four Races P3X-972, and the planet with the Time Loop device P4X-639. The other 39 I'm dividing up into three categories: 1) Those with promising/interesting descriptions. 2) Those with bland/non-applicable and 3) Those with no description."

"What do you mean by bland?" asked Harry.

"Just locations that don't sound particularly interesting… or clearly aren't what we're looking for."

Harry turned and stared at him. "Exactly _what_ are you looking for Daniel? It's obviously something specific…"

Daniel felt a wave of surprise. _Didn't I tell him…_ "Huh. Sorry Harry. Sometimes it's hard to remember you've only been here a month. I should clarify a few things." He stood and walked over to the locked, glass cabinet, which contained some of his most important finds. After opening the doors, Daniel carefully retrieved the stone tablet found on Abydos. He set it on the desk and pulled the wrapping away from the text.

"This tablet speaks of a Lost City… filled with all the wonders of the Ancients…" Daniel explained. "We've been trying to find it."

Harry leaned over to read the text. "Uh… Lost City?" he said in a rather strangled voice. "Lost as in Camelot?" He cleared his throat and didn't look up. "Or lost as in Pompeii?"

Daniel glanced at him curiously. As often happened when talking with Harry Potter, he felt there was sometimes a lot of unspoken subtext running underneath what he actually said. "Well, I'm certainly hoping it's more 'lost to time and legend' than to a natural disaster, but in any case we're talking about a place that's much, much older than either. We haven't worked out the name yet. It's probably not even on this planet."

Harry seemed to relax slightly and translated from the tablet. _"'A urbs replaetus per admiration nostril aevum.' _A city filled with all the wonders of our age. '_Locus novus spaes.' _A place of new hope.' Hmm… you could pin whatever dream you wanted on such a statement." He glanced up. "Let me guess, the military is hoping for weapons, correct?"

"Yes, something to defend Earth against future attacks anyways."

"What about you, Daniel? What are you hoping to find?"

"Answers... I suppose." Daniel folded the cloth back over the tablet and set it back in its place. "There's so much we could learn- probably more than we've ever dreamed of…"

Harry's serious expression suddenly changed to one of amusement and he snorted.

"What?" asked Daniel.

"Nothing. The conversation's getting rather heavy and I could just hear one of Moros' colloquialisms being added about now…" He smiled and shook his head.

"Like what?"

"Well, he had an unlimited supply. Let's see… Probably something like…" Harry paused and then struck up a dramatic pose. "Uh-um… _To the seeking mind- All answers lead only to more questions spiraling on into infinity._ That one's sort of depressing isn't it? Oh! I know. I've always liked this one." He took up his pose again. "_Curiosity and Necessity- the two sparks which fuel all future discovery_."

A chuckle from the doorway had them spinning around to find Sam, Jack and Teal'c standing there.

Sam was the one who'd laughed, Teal'c looked slightly amused and Jack's expression indicated he thought they'd lost their minds.

"I like that one too, Harry," said Sam.

"Happy to be of service, Sam." Harry grinned and gave her a sweeping bow before straightening and dropping the act.

"_This-_ This is what you eggheads get up to down here when you're 'working'? Character impressions?" Jack demanded.

Daniel rolled his eyes.

"Well of course, O'Neill. It isn't _all_ dry, dusty books and artifacts. _We_ have entertainment." Harry waggled his eyebrows. "Better be careful or I'll add you to the act." Harry scrunched his face into an exasperated scowl and threw his hands into the air. "For cryin' out loud!"

Daniel had to laugh because Harry'd not only used one of Jack's favorite phrases, he'd gotten the tone and accent eerily correct. Teal'c's smile widened and Sam snickered, although she turned away at Jack's scowl.

"Oh- very funny, Potter. Ha, ha, ha."

"We thought so," Harry said. "So, what are you lot doing down here?"

"Well Potter… It just so happens that we were here to drop off a little good news for you, but now I'm rethinkin' the idea," Jack said snippily.

"Don't listen to him Harry," put in Sam. "We just wanted to congratulate you on getting your Gate clearance."

"Really? So soon?"

"Indeed. Your teachers' say you are doing well," said Teal'c.

"That's great, Harry," smiled Daniel.

"Doing well? After the fiasco this morning?" Harry asked, confused but pleased.

"Yep. You'll still have to complete the scenarios for next week but your other classes are in the bag. Doc Fraiser has your physical and Hammond's given the nod for your team assignment," Jack said.

"Team assignment?"

"Yeah… as odd as that seems. _Someone_ actually wants your ass on their team, Potter." Jack said dryly and handed him a slim, flat case with a flip-top lid.

"What's this?" Harry asked.

"Why don't you open it and find out," Daniel suggested, already guessing what the box contained.

Sam was practically bouncing in anticipation and even Jack had that betraying twinkle in his eyes.

Harry glanced at them searchingly before flipping the lid up. He froze for a second and then a small smile appeared. Lying there were two shoulder patches. The Chevron and Earth symbol of the SGC and another saying SG1.

"Welcome to the team, kid," O'Neill said and slapped him on the shoulder. "We're scheduled for M3K-946 on the 31st. Standard recon. Step Off's at 0830. The briefing's set for 0730. Try and be on time, Hammond's a stickler."

* * *

The next week swept by with more training in the mornings and work on the journal translations in the afternoons. 

The training exercises had been brilliant now that the others were giving him half a chance. Yesterday had been smashing (literally). He and Lieutenant Brant had played decoy and distraction while Gonzalez and Duncan had rigged the charges around their objective. The resulting explosion as the team had made their getaway had been oddly satisfying. Harry'd never blown anything up before. (Except perhaps, the Prophecy Room in the Department of Mysteries.)

Lieutenant Dirk was still proving to be a pain in certain portions of the anatomy better left unmentioned. The last time they'd worked with Dirk's team, it involved climbing a Class 5.6 rock-face where he'd 'accidentally' let Harry's rope slip. Harry'd fallen almost 30 feet before Sergeant Duncan caught up the slack. (It was a damn good thing that wizard's bounce… Not that he'd mentioned that fact or the several fast cushioning charms he'd had to cast to his team-mates afterwards.)

That little incident had prompted Harry to add a special gift to the shampoo bottle in Dirk's locker. The jerk was now sporting a wide, bleached-out stripe through his dark hair. It gave him a sort of skunk-like appearance appropriately enough. Harry figured the next step was logically some sort of smell… _Maybe next time…_

There were some pretty odd rumors about Dirk floating around the base now. Most of them were from an episode that occurred the week before, when he'd tripped and fallen in the Commissary. Dirk's fall took out several tables and somehow ripped the seat of his pants open. He ended up wearing a few lunch-trays and when he tried to stand up, just about everyone got a good look at his boxers (covered with butterflies and pink flowers) as well as a small heart-shaped tattoo with an arrow through it on his upper thigh. It apparently contained the word 'SweetCheeks' and you can probably guess where the arrow pointed. Witnesses also claimed that the mashed potatoes and gravy didn't go with his mottled red complexion at all.

Harry didn't pay much attention to that sort of thing and probably wouldn't have heard about it at all if Sergeant 'Just call me Sparks' Duncan hadn't insisted on dragging him off to lunch with Brant and Gonzalez. Apparently, there was nothing Duncan loved more than telling a wild, dramatic story to _anyone_ who'd listen. (And a few who weren't so keen…) Dirk's Disasters, as they'd been dubbed, were a favorite. Lunches passed on a wave of talk and laughter.

Afterwards, it was back to work on the journal translations with Daniel. They were slowly making headway through the thousands of biological drawings and descriptions. (The finished text and drawings should definitely be sent off to the bio-labs when they were done.)

Daniel had picked out a few addresses, which he thought might tie into his search for the 'Lost City'. The planet descriptions were intriguing in any case. Harry was briefly tempted to share what he knew about Camelot but quickly talked himself out of it. Camelot had been abandoned before it was finished and certainly didn't have much in the way of weapons… The information that Daniel was following described a much older Ancient City, perhaps millions of years older, so Harry let the moment pass.

There were quite a large number of others, which were more generally interesting. Daniel labeled them 'bland'. SG1 couldn't possibly visit them all themselves, so General Hammond was assigning SG12 and SG13 to scout the more general addresses, while SG1 handled the higher priority ones.

Harry's own translations hadn't yielded much in the way of planet descriptions until today. An address designated RJ3-557 by the SGC computer. It only had a handful of botanical subjects in the journal, mostly lichen and fungi from what Harry could make out, but described the place as 'Crystae Ortus'. Intrigued, he'd put that one in Daniel's 'Interesting' pile to discuss with him later.

Tomorrow was the day….

* * *

_**Harry's Room**_

As it happened, Harry was nearly late for the briefing because he'd had to spend 20 minutes dealing with Dobby's latest decorating disaster. It seemed that Harry's room at the SGC wasn't 'grand' enough for his Harry Potter sir.

Coincidentally, whenever Dobby returned from his frequent pops back to England, Harry's plain, concrete room was soon transformed according to the elf's latest brainstorm.

Apparently, Dobby had discovered where Colorado was located. This morning's masterpiece had looked more like a wild west saloon than a bedroom. It was complete with a mahogany bar backed by a large mirror, green covered tables, spittoons, cow horns and a portrait of a scantily clad barmaid. There was even a set of double swinging doors over the bathroom entrance. (All interesting but not exactly what Harry wanted to wake up with.)

Harry sighed to himself as he considered the portrait for a long moment.

At least Dobby was no longer fixated on a military motif. His previous redecorating scheme had involved so much camouflage and netting that it had been difficult to find the bed. (Of course, maybe that had been the point, Harry wasn't sure.) Not to mention the whole saluting thing had driven him batty.

"Dobby!" he called.

The little elf popped into view wearing a red cowboy hat and rhinestone-covered shirt with plastic chaps made for children over his shorts. It was an odd getup to say the least.

"Yes, Harry Potter sir?" Dobby said cheerfully before wilting a bit when he noticed Harry's expression.

Harry crossed his arms over his chest and tried to look stern. "Dobby… I believe we discussed this last week. Do you remember what I told you?"

The elf pulled off his hat and crumpled it between his hands. "You sayes to leave off decorating, sir." The tennis ball eyes dropped to his feet guiltily.

"And?"

"And lets Harry Potter sir puts things the ways he likes, yes?"

"Right. So… What's all this?" Harry gestured to the mirror and the mahogany bar.

"Is been a week, sir! All yous bring is your Weasey mum's comforter." The elf waved his hand towards the bed where Molly Weasley's last Christmas gift lay. "I keeps word, sir. No decoratin' Just replacin'."

"Replacing?"

The elf nodded vigorously. "Yes. Is temporary replacin', to finds out what Harry potter sir is best liking." Dobby shook his head sadly. "But Harry Potter sir is difficult. I's changes décor-… er, replacings many times."

"I know," Harry said tightly. "And I am _not_ difficult." He sighed. "You're not steal- er, borrowing these 'replacings' from anywhere they'll be missed, are you?"

"No, no, no Harry Potter sir. Is big storage place. Has all kinds of good replacings. American elf show me. He calls replacings props sir."

"Props, eh?" Harry walked over and tapped his nails on the cow horn hanging on the wall. Sure enough, they were plastic. "Just where is this storage place Dobby? Does it have a name?"

"Um… MGM Props Warehouse, Lot 7 sir."

Harry suppressed a snicker of amusement and sat on the edge of the bed. He patted the quilt next to him. Dobby hopped up and knelt beside him, looking hopeful. "Dobby… I'm sorry to spoil your fun… but anyone can come into my room here. I'll make it an order if I have to. No more decorating. No more 'replacing'. You must leave this room the way I have it, alright?"

The elf's bottom lip trembled and his ears drooped. He looked like he might cry.

"But- But that doesn't mean there aren't things you can do for me, okay?" Harry rushed to say.

Dobby's ever changeable mood brightened and his ears perked back up.

"You- You could… Hmm…" Harry tried to think of something specific. "Oh, I know! Alright, after you take all the props back, there's a couple of things you can do. First, the Loo… it could be bigger, especially the shower stall. Don't change anything, no 'replacings', just make it bigger. Maybe twice the size it is now, alright?"

"What the second thing, Harry Potter sir?" asked the elf, pleased to have a task, even if it wouldn't take long to do.

"Well, that has to do with the layout of this room, but it'll have to wait until I get back, Dobby."

"Where you go, sir?"

"Do you remember when we talked about my traveling through the Stargate?" Harry asked.

"The Great Ring Portal sir?"

"That's right, Dobby. Well, today is my first trip. You remember your promise, right?"

"Yes, Harry Potter sir. I does."

"Good." Harry didn't think he'd ever heard the elf sound so sad and tried to think of something to cheer him up. "Colonel O'Neill says this is just a milkrun to show me the ropes. So you don't have to worry about it. I'll be gone for just a couple of days and when I get back there'll be lots of dirty laundry for you, alright?"

Dobby just gave him a shrude look. "Colonel Nealy goes with Harry Potter sir?"

"Yes. O'Neill, Sam Carter, Daniel Jackson and Teal'c are all going with me."

"So's they'lls look after you."

"I suppose… and I'll look after them. That's the way it works."

"The elf considered this. "Okay. Yous can go, but only if yous promises to come back," Dobby said firmly.

Harry smiled sadly. "No one can promise to _always_ come back Dobby… but I do promise to always try." He patted Dobby on the shoulder and walked to the door. As he opened it to go, he thought of something and turned back.

"Dobby…"

"Yes, Harry Potter sir?"

"Don't return that just yet, alright?" Harry pointed at one of the props. "I've got a little idea…"

The elf nodded and Harry departed with a wave.

* * *

_**SGC Briefing Room**_

The briefing had turned into yet another chance for Daniel to tell them how important finding the Lost City could be for them. _As if they hadn't gotten the point by now, _Jack thought in exasperation.

He noticed Potter had slipped into the chair next to him just under the wire at 0729 with little more than a stern look from Hammond. He wished he could get away with that sort of thing. The kid had looked preoccupied when he'd first came in but he soon perked up and paid attention to Daniel's spiel. _Of course, it was probably the _first_ time he'd had to listen to it. The thing got a tad old after the 30__th_

Jack dropped his attention back to the doodle he was currently adding to the mission brief, which desperately needed _something_ interesting added to it. Mostly his doodles were rubbish of course, but occasionally he found himself drawing some small, unidentifiable gizmo. He had a whole file folder of them now and one never knew… they could be important... someday.

He finished putting the final touches to Bart riding his skateboard as Daniel wound down into why he wanted to go to M3K-946. Something about a ruin of Ancienty design near the gate.

"So, you think there could be some answers in this ruin, Dr. Jackson?" asked Hammond. _Always straight to the point, the general. You had to admire that._

"Well, there appeared to be only one structure, General. The telemetry from the MALP showed that the roof has collapsed and it's in a general state of disrepair but the architecture appears to be Ancient," Daniel hedged. "My translations claim this address is 'important' although they didn't mention why."

"The MALP also showed a road of sorts leading to the south, General. So, maybe the locals could tell us something as well," Carter put in.

"All right people, you have a go," Hammond stated. _As expected._

Jack rose to his feet. "You heard the man folks, let's saddle up."

They trooped down to the locker-rooms where Carter vanished to the lady's side and the rest of them suited up. _Tac-vest, radio, extra ammo, green baseball cap and of course, his shades. Ready._

The team picked up Carter and then swung by the armory to pick up their weapons. Potter still looked uncomfortable about the P90 but he clipped it on. _Well, we'll just have to wait and see. A nice, loud firefight with some Jaffa and the kid would soon be cradlin' it like a newborn…_

Their gear complete, SG1 entered the gate room as the final chevron locked and the Stargate engaged. The familiar KAWHOOSH settled back into the shimmering pool inside the large ring.

Jack led the way up the ramp, followed closely by Carter and Daniel. He paused to let them pass and glanced back to see Potter hesitating near the base of the ramp. Teal'c stood close behind him. The kid nodded at something the big guy said and they moved forward.

One last look and Jack stepped through the fluctuating event horizon, just like a thousand times before.

* * *

Harry stopped at the base of the ramp leading up to the Stargate. Jittery butterflies had been accumulating in his stomach all week but now they seemed to have congealed into a solid mass. It made him feel a bit queasy. 

Teal'c appeared at his side. "It is only a single step Harry Potter… and then you will be on the other side." The man's deep, calm voice eased the growing knot in Harry's gut and he nodded.

Their boots made heavy clunking noises on the ramp as the two of them reached the glowing puddle. The gate's energy was practically vibrating off the event horizon onto his skin. One last hesitation before Harry took a deep breath and stepped through, closely followed by Teal'c.

_The event horizon energy tingled over his body like liquid static before the blinding, blue-white light gave way to the inky blackness of deep space. It was interspersed with twinkling dots and overlaid by an aurora of color in the shape of a long, winding tunnel. He flowed down the wormhole much like a leaf blown by a strong wind. A small spark of consciousness in a vast universe. Or perhaps a pair of disembodied eyes._

_There was no sound. Just a sense of rushing movement._

_Flying. _

_The tunnel twisted and dove like a roller coaster or a wild, never-ending Wronski Feint._

_All sense of nervousness or fear had long since vanished. It had been so long since Harry had been on a broomstick, he would have whooped for joy if he could have. As it was, all he could think was: Faster! Faster! Faster! And ride the whirlwind to its conclusion._

* * *

**_M3K-946_**

Sam Carter moved away from the Stargate upon their arrival with her P90 at the ready. She gave the immediate surroundings a careful scan before lowering it. Daniel stood there on the platform looking around.

As was quite common, the Stargate of M3K-946 was situated on a raised platform with four steps leading down towards the DHD. The two devices were centered on a circular paved area of white stone, approximately 50 yards in diameter. Off to her right, perhaps a quarter of a mile away, were the ruins Daniel had wanted to explore and a small gravel road, which wound its way to the south. The surrounding landscape held no trees, just a series of rolling hills. A seemingly endless sea of grasses that rippled with the occasional gust of wind. It rather reminded Sam of Nebraska or some other 'Great Plains' state.

The Colonel had come through the gate by the time she'd turned back. He casually put on his shades and glanced around.

"Another day, another planet…" he said and slapped Daniel on the shoulder.

Daniel, who'd been surveying the Ancient ruins with a set of bi-nocs, jumped a bit in surprise and then gave him a dirty look.

The Colonel ignored it (as usual) and turned back towards the Stargate. "We can get started here as soon as our lost lambs arrive… What's taking them so long-?"

His complaint was cut short as Harry came flying out of the event horizon directly behind him and Daniel faster then a projectile weapon. He collided with them like a bowling ball taking out a couple of pins and the three of them tumbled down the steps onto the paving stones in a tangle of cursing arms and legs.

Sam rushed over just as Teal'c calmly stepped through the gate. He stared down at the unusual pile-up before coming to their assistance. The big man locked arms with the muttering Colonel and pulled him to his feet while Sam gave Daniel a hand.

Which left Harry… half lying on the ground looking rather dazed. He slowly sat up. "Ouch," he said before he accepted Sam's hand and staggered to his feet.

"Are you all right, Harry?" Sam asked.

He nodded and ran his hand through his hair, making it stick up in all directions. "Yeah… I think so. Blimey, is it always like that?"

Her question of, "Like what?" was interrupted.

"Is _he_ all right? What about us?" grumbled O'Neill. He leaned down and snatched up his fallen baseball hat with and angry swipe. "Whud ya do Potter? Take a running start and dive into the gate?"

Harry shrugged and turned a bit red. "Ah… No."

"Harry Potter simply walked through the Stargate, O'Neill. I was directly behind him," Teal'c said.

"Then how… Did the gate malfunction?" asked Daniel worriedly.

"I don't think so Daniel…" said Sam. "I'll have to check a few things but Teal'c came through just fine."

"I experienced nothing unusual, Major Carter," Teal'c said in response to her inquiring look.

"What about you, Potter?" asked the Colonel.

"I'm not sure what would _be_ unusual as it was my first go round," Harry said. "It-it was kind of like flying… I just wished it could have gone faster… Or lasted longer."

The Colonel's eyes met Daniel's before they both looked at her.

"You don't think…?"

"Is that even possible?"

Sam was already shaking her head. "No, that isn't possible. Speed is constant inside the wormhole. However fast you go in is how fast you exit. It's a frictionless system with no gravitational pulls. Even in regular space, speed remains relatively constant unless…" she paused.

"Unless what?" asked O'Neill, sounding annoyed.

"Unless acted upon by an outside force, sir," Sam stated. "But I don't see how that's possible in this case."

They looked at Harry, who shrugged. "Nothing 'acted upon me' as far as I could tell Sam," he said.

"He could sense the Gate energy activating… Is it possible Harry could have somehow affected his travel speed as well? He said he _wanted_ to go faster," Daniel suggested.

Sam felt stumped. _It shouldn't be possible…_ she thought.

"I don't know for sure. There's too little to go on. Maybe." She finally said.

"Riight," O'Neill said. "A mystery for another day, Carter. In the meantime, let's get on with _this_ mission. Daniel, your rocks await." He gestured grandly towards the ruins. "Oh- and Potter?"

Harry turned back as they all started off. "Yeah?"

"I think we'll have _you_ go through first on the trip back and if I were you, I'd try to think 'Slow Down' unless you want to take a header down the gate ramp."

"Good point. I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

_The ruins turned out to be something of a disappointment,_ Harry mused as he and Daniel searched for _anything_ that might provide a clue about the structure or its original purpose. _And__'Ruins' was definitely the correct word in this case._

The structure was Ancient in design but at some point it had been overcome by fire. All that was left were the stone support columns and part of the back wall. The roof was totally gone and the interior had been gutted. Harry figured that it would take a full archeological crew and several uninterrupted months to really investigate the site.

"Anything?" Daniel asked, as he joined Harry near the back wall, where he'd been sifting through some partially burnt debris.

"No. Nothing much," answered Harry. "Just these…"

He pointed at the row of broken boxes, which he'd uncovered against the intact portion of the back wall under a mound of ash. There were at lest a couple dozen of them, each about the size of a small shoe box. Most of the top layers had been smashed but Harry had managed to extract an intact box from the bottom row.

"What's in it?" asked Daniel, curious.

"I'm not sure exactly. The smashed ones look like they contain some sort of gravel or crushed rock. It's very finely ground, almost a powder." Harry showed Daniel the engraving along the top of the box. "Can you make out any of the words here?"

"Hmm… Net…? No. Filter…? Maybe. Huh… well, let's take it along for further study. They can run a spec. analysis on the rock inside too."

"Alright." Harry wrapped the box and placed it inside a zip-lock bag before putting it inside his backpack.

He gestured at the remaining boxes. "Do you think the Alterrans were manufacturing something here?"

"It's possible," replied Daniel. "There's some fragments along the west wall that suggest a lab of some kind. Or they could have been collecting raw materials for another project."

Harry glanced up when Daniel tried to dust off his hands on his jacket and trousers. It didn't do much good as his hands and clothes were both black with carbon. His face had a dirty streak across it where he'd wiped the back of his hand.

Figuring he probably looked no better, Harry pulled out his canteen and handkerchief to wash up. He didn't know if it helped but it sure felt good. Finishing, he poured more water on the cloth and rang it out, before handing the now dirty gray scrap to Daniel. He eyed it dubiously but used it.

"Where are the others?" Harry asked.

"Oh- they're around," Daniel said.

The two of them had been searching the ruins for a couple of hours. O'Neill and Teal'c had wandered off to keep watch after the first walk through. Sam had planned to take some soil samples and do some scans.

Daniel finished wiping the black mark off his face and hands just as Jack O'Neill appeared between the columns.

"Are you two kids finished playing in the dirt now?" he asked.

"Yeah Jack, I think so," said Daniel, standing and giving Harry a hand up. "Nothing much left at this site. Although Harry here, found something intriguing that Sam should take for analysis."

"Intriguing… right."

Harry chuckled. "Don't worry O'Neill, we won't force a lecture on you."

"Where's the fun in that, Harry?" said Daniel with a grin. "Jack lives for lectures on the possible ramifications of Alterran mining and manufacturing on alien planets."

O'Neill made a face, and Harry laughed before shouldering his pack. "Yeah, I can see that."

"Oh- shut up, you two and let's get moving. See if we can find some locals… It's almost lunchtime and maybe they're cooking something up."

"Something special just for you, Jack?" asked Daniel, smiling.

"Damn straight, Daniel."

O'Neill 'hollered' for Teal'c and Sam and they set off down the narrow road.

* * *

A hot, gusting wind made the grasses on either side of the path dance and weave as they walked along, while the sun beat down from the cloudless blue sky on their heads. Colonel O'Neill led the way, followed by Sam and Daniel, then Harry, with Teal'c bringing up the rear. 

Teal'c stooped down to pluck up a handful of prairie grass. Harry was no expert, but it looked very dry, almost to the point of brittleness.

The big man pointed to the heavy seed heads. "Harvest time or close to it."

So far, there had been no sign of any people except the road itself. The sky seemed overly large to Harry. It stretched from horizon to horizon with no trees or mountains to stop it. Perhaps because of the lack of trees, the landscape looked deceptively flat. However, the rolling hills concealed the depressions between them. It was impossible to know what was there until the team mounted the crest of the next hill and could see over it.

After one such ascent, Harry thought he caught a glimpse of something blue out of the corner of his eye. He stopped and stared out into the grass.

"What is it?" asked Teal'c, stopping too.

"I thought I saw something move," Harry said softly. "Something small and blue."

"Blue?"

"Yeah. Hold up a minute, I'm going to check it out."


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Back again. Sorry about the long wait. Reality can be annoyingly persistent.

Inspiration for Stephara comes from the amazing archeological site of Great Zimbawae, especially the large soapstone sculptures of the Bateleur eagle. The story of the eagle eating the serpent comes from the legend about the founding of Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City) by the Aztecs.

_**Chapter 18: O'Neill's MilkRun**_

* * *

_**M3K-946**_

Harry stepped off the road into the tall grass before Teal'c could argue and started for a shrub near a rocky outcrop about halfway down the hill. He had one hand on his handgun and one ready to conjure a shield if necessary.

The others must have backtracked because Harry heard O'Neill's voice complaining.

"What's Potter think he's doing…? Hasn't he heard the one about the little Earthling who wandered off and was eaten by alien aardvarks or the like?"

"Guess he must of missed that one, Jack," Daniel said dryly.

"Harry Potter thought he saw something moving in the grass, O'Neill," Teal'c informed them.

"So he waltzed off by himself… Very bright. I thought he was supposed to be a genius or something'," the colonel paused. "Oh- wait a minute! Daniel does that all the time. I should have expected it."

"Hey!"

Harry was nearly to the place where he'd seen the flash of blue but there was nothing there. He looked carefully around. _Huh… nothing._ Then, from behind a small, prickly shrub, a shadow twitched.

"Um… Hello?" he said tentatively. "Will you come out? I can tell you're there."

Slowly, a pair of big brown eyes peeked out between the leaves. They stared at each other for a moment.

"You find anything, Harry?" called Sam.

"Yeah… Just stay there a minute," he told the others. Turning back, Harry edged casually to his left, so that he could see around the bush.

Sitting half under the lower branches was a child, a little girl of about seven years. She had dark, dusky skin, nearly as dark as Teal'c but her long hair was a bright, golden blonde. It was drawn to her left ear and braided into a now straggly plait, tied off with a rather lopsided, blue bow. (Probably the flash he'd seen earlier.)

Her arms were protectively cradling an odd-looking animal. The girl was staring at Harry with open curiosity, although she edged further back under the bush as a precaution.

"Hey there…" Harry said quietly. "You don't have to be afraid."

"Are you a Stranger? My uncle says I'm not to go near strangers…" the girl confined artlessly.

Harry knelt down on one knee so that he was closer to her level. "Well, that's good advice…" he said. "We've never met before so I suppose I qualify. However… if we talk a bit and get to know each other, then we won't be strangers, right?"

She nodded and stopped clutching the floppy-eared animal so hard. It made a whistling chirp as she set it down.

_First things first…_ "What's your name?"

"Genna. What's yours?"

"Mine's Harry. What about your friend here?"

"This is Sala. He's a poofla, of course."

The poofla was about the size of a lamb and was a dark brown in color with a soft, shaggy-looking coat. It looked sort of like a miniature alpaca llama except that it sat down on its hind end like a dog or cat. Its eyes were a deep, chocolate brown. The one eye that Harry could see was surrounded by thick, feathery lashes and the other was covered by a shaggy mass of hair, which fell from its forehead down to its nose. One of the normally floppy ears, perked up as it looked in his direction.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Genna… and Sala too, of course. Does he shake hands when he meets someone new?" He said this because the little monster had put a paw on his boot and was now sniffing at his cargo pants.

Gennna giggled. "No… but sometimes he jumps up on people."

"I can see that," said Harry dryly. The poofla had put both front paws up on his knee by this time and was snuffling at his vest pockets. Harry smiled as he firmly pushed the animal's nose away from the oatmeal and chocolate chip powerbar. "Oh no, my good sir. You can't have that… That's _my_ lunch.

"You're silly."

"Well, I've never met a poofla before… I guess I should have read up on them first."

"Why would anyone need to read about the poofla? Doesn't everyone have them?" asked Genna, puzzled.

"No. I'm afraid not, Genna. So- why're you and Sala out here all by yourselves, hmm?" Harry asked.

"Sala likes to explore. We go everywhere!"

"Everywhere, huh? Don't you ever get lost?"

"Nah- Pooflas know where they're going." She nodded decisively.

Harry struggled to keep a straight face. "Right. What was I thinking?" He was going to ask about the location of her home when a voice shouted from the road.

"Yo, Potter! If you're finished playing with the wildlife, we'd like to find the locals before the sun sets today," O'Neill yelled.

Harry, who still had the poofla half on his lap, looked back at Genna. She was still sitting under the bush and she peered out around it to stare at his team-mates on road.

"He's loud."

"Yeah, he can be…" Harry stood and held out his hand. "Would you permit me to introduce my friends, Genna?"

She hesitated but then allowed him to pull her up. "All right."

"They're all really nice… even the loud, grumpy one, once you get to know him."

Genna didn't look particularly convinced but she chirped at Sala, who followed at their heels as they walked over to the road.

She suddenly reached up and put her hand into Harry's. "Why are they all staring at us, Harry…?" she said in a loud whisper.

Harry squeezed her hand. "Don't worry, that's only because _they've_ never seen a poofla before either."

Genna giggled.

They reached the others and Harry did the introductions. "Everyone, this is Genna and her friend Sala."

"Hi, Genna," said Sam.

O'Neill nodded and Daniel grinned and waved.

"It is an honor to meet you, Genna and Friend Sala, " Teal'c said gravely.

Genna's eyes went huge as she gazed up at the big man. "You're really tall!" she said, as if the man might not have noticed this fact.

"Indeed," he answered.

"Did you have to eat _all_ your green sprouts when you were little?" Genna demanded.

"Every bit, I'm afraid."

"Oh." Genna looked rather disgruntled at this news.

Everyone was fighting smiles by this time, even O'Neill.

The colonel crouched down. "So… Genna. We were looking for any folks who live around here. Could you point us in the right direction?"

She cocked her head but nodded. "Yeah. Stephara is that way," and she pointed to the southeast.

"Is that where you live?" asked Harry.

"Yes."

"Well, could you take us there? We'd love to see it."

A happy smile came over her face. "All right, Harry. Come on." She grabbed his hand and yanked him forward, off the road in the direction she'd pointed. Harry stumbled a bit at first, but caught up with her after a few strides, chuckling at her enthusiasm.

The others snickered and followed more sedately while Sala ran ahead of them all.

_Perhaps pooflas __did__ have a good sense of direction… either that or it knew where the food barrel was kept._

* * *

After more than a couple of miles with no sign of people, Jack began to wonder if the girl was lost. Genna had led them through the tall grass in a generally southeasterly direction. He was about to complain when they topped another hill and saw a small stone tower to their west. Spread out below them was a large river valley and their obvious destination. 

"Thank you, Genna. You're a very good guide," said Potter.

Genna beamed. "Come on then."

The village of Stephara was nestled up against a small, lazy river which wound its way across the valley floor. It was lined with straggly trees and surrounded by a patchwork quilt of farmed fields. Mostly grains and something that looked like beans (sort of). A few fields had large herds of Sala's older cousins pastured there.

The girl led the team on a winding path through the fields, which were dotted with thatched, sod houses and barns. Curious folk, similar in appearance to Genna, eyed them as they passed but no one stopped them. The path eventually rejoined the main road into the village. Just off the road was a large Windmill and a circular stone building that reminded Jack of the threshing barns in rural Minnesota. Very little wood was used in the construction of any of the buildings they passed, mostly sod or stone.

The village proper was surrounded on three sides by a high wall of piled, flat rock and on the other by the river. _Decent enough delaying defenses,_ Jack thought.

The entrance arch through the wall was guarded by two pillars, topped by odd eagle-like birds with long necks and hands instead of feet. Each pillar and bird was carved out of a handsome green stone similar to jade and was close to ten feet high.

The buildings inside the rockwall were mostly made of mortared stones with roofs of thatch or tile. At the center of the village, dominating the paved courtyard was another huge statue of the bird, this one holding a dead snake in its beak and hands. It towered over a series of stone columns, which held up a loosely woven roof obviously meant to shade a large gathering area filled with seats.

A tall, stern-looking older man emerged from a circular stone building followed by a big man who rivaled Teal'c in bulk and a sturdy-looking woman. He politely asked their business there.

Fortunately, the usual first meeting tensions were snuffed almost before they began. Genna, their little guide, barged forward (still dragging Potter around like her own personal pull-toy) and announced that she'd found some new friends.

The man's face softened slightly when he looked at the girl but then he frowned.

"Gennawae. What have your Adda and I told you about traveling beyond the WatchTowers?" he asked sternly.

The kid's happy smile fell away. She bit her lip but dutifully recited," To always stay within sight of the Towers. To make sure I carry my signal mirror and to avoid strangers."

"Correct. Where were you today?"

"North and west of Belph Tower…" Genna said, a bit sullenly. "But Uncle Zim, I had my mirror and Harry's not a stranger. You said they were bad."

"Gennawae-" the man said sternly.

"Uh sir?" Potter, who Genna still had by the hand, stepped forward and interrupted. "Pardon me, but we didn't intend to get Genna into any trouble. I, uh… stumbled across her hiding place so she didn't have much of a chance to avoid us."

"Hmm… And you would be?"

"Oh, My name is Harry Potter and these are my friends…" Potter introduced the rest of the team.

Jack gave the man a nod, which he returned. "I am Zimwae, Bateleur of Stephara. This is Defender Benrat," he gestured toward the big man and then the woman, "And Argo, our FieldMaster..."

Zimwae glanced back at SG1. "Why are you here?"

Daniel stepped forward. "We are peaceful explorers. We travel through the Stargate seeking knowledge and trade."

"Yet you are armed," Zimwae said. "You are warriors…" He eyed Teal'c and Jack shrewdly.

"We'll defend ourselves, yah…" Jack said.

"As you told Genna, Baleteur Zimwae," Potter said smoothly, "Strangers are not always friendly… however one must reach out to know for sure."

Zimwae stared at Potter for a few moments before his eyes dropped to the kid's hand, still holding Genna's. "As you say, young man." He relaxed slightly and nodded to the rest of the team. "We are the Mwene Mutapa. Welcome to Stephara."

_Oh boy… that's a mouthful,_ Jack thought and immediately dubbed them the 'M&M' people in his head.

"It is nearly time for our Mid-day meal… Perhaps our guests would sit with us and we could speak more of sharing knowledge and trade?"

"Sure," Jack said.

"We'd be delighted," smiled Daniel.

Genna bounced happily on her toes and swung Potter's hand.

Which is how they ended up at the best part of these 'Meet and Greet' missions… the Feasting.

* * *

Actually... in spite of O'Neill's talk about feasting, it was more of a simple but hardy meal; consisting of breads, cheeses, smoked meats and an unfamiliar fruit similar to grapes. The food was laid out on a low table in the central gathering area under the shade of the awning. 

Harry rather enjoyed his first off-world feast. Upon further thought, he decided it was a good thing that it _wasn't_ an elaborate affair with hundreds of people. He probably would have spent the whole time anticipating some horrible interruption. Probably some crazy person in a purple turban yelling about a poofla-eating troll or the like knowing his luck.

The team sat cross-legged around the table with Zimwae, Benrat and Argo. Most of the townspeople had been shooed away, although Harry noticed quite a few watched from a distance.

Genna, who'd been allowed to stay on the condition that she not interrupt, sat with Harry near the far end of the table. (Presumably his job was to keep her occupied while the 'adults' talked.)

Not that he truly minded. Genna spent the meal pointing out all her favorite foods and loading Harry's plate high. (Sort of like Dobby back home) It was fun although he definitely ate too much. She also related how totally unfair it was that Sala was banned from sharing. (For some strange reason, pooflas weren't allowed near the dinner table.) Harry told her not to worry about Sala too much. If pooflas were smart, they probably organized their own feasts while their humans were busy.

Down at the other end of the table Daniel and Zimwae were doing most of the talking with occasional input from the others.

"…The Ruins of which you speak were destroyed by the Serpent generations ago…" Zimwae said.

"The Serpent?" asked Daniel with a long look at Carter and O'Neill.

Zimwae nodded. "A harsh being with glowing eyes. He and his snake guards forced the forefathers to work in the mines until no more ore was found. Then, they left through the Chapa'ai and never returned."

"What happened to your ancestors?" Daniel asked.

"There was very little food near the mine…"

"Yeah, the snakeheads rarely put the slave labor camps near the ShopKo, do they?" said O'Neill.

Zimwae gave him a blank look.

"Jack…" Daniel said, annoyed.

The Bateleur continued. "The forefathers were divided. Some believed that the Serpent would return and punish any who dared to leave the mines. Others decided to take the risk. A man named Mutapa and those who agreed traveled south following the flightpath of a Bateleur eagle, which is a symbol of good luck and freedom. The bird eventually led them to this valley.

The forefathers watched from the hills as the Bateleur dove down and captured a grass-snake. It sat on a rock near the river and devoured the serpent. After such an omen, Mutapa decided that this was the place to stop. We, the Mwene Mutapa (Followers of Mutapa) have lived here ever since," Zimwae concluded.

"And the Ruins?" asked Daniel.

"Very little is known about them," Argo said. "The stories say the structure denied the Serpent entrance to its inner rooms and he had his snake guards burn it to the ground out of spite."

"Denied entrance?" echoed Daniel.

"So… nothing was ever taken from the building before or after?" asked Sam.

"The only piece that survived the burning was a table with a stone top. It's kept in the ziimba." She pointed at the large, circular stone building across from the gathering area.

"Perhaps I could examine it while we're here?" Daniel suggested.

Zimwae exchanged a look with Benrat. "It may be possible," he said.

Benrat spoke for the first time. "Perhaps, the others would like a tour of Stephara, Zimwae?"

"It'd make our day," O'Neill said with almost perfect sincerity.

* * *

_**SGC Briefing Room**_

George Hammond climbed the spiral stairs from the control room back to the briefing room and his office. The general was silently cursing his aching joints. _Getting older was definitely no picnic, _he thought. _All those things you take for granted when you're younger…_

He'd taken the last step and was headed for his office when he noticed a small figure near the viewing window overlooking the Stargate.

It was Dobby, the house-elf.

The small creature had moved one of the briefing chairs over to the window. He was kneeling on the seat with his crossed arms on the sill, watching the inactive gate in the room below. His ears drooped under a ridiculous red cowboy hat and he looked sad and lonely. Clutched in one tiny fist was what looked like a sock, which the elf was absently rubbing with his thumb.

When Potter had first introduced the elf, Hammond had found himself struggling to accept the existence of such a creature. Although he'd eventually had to believe the evidence of his own eyes. It struck him as odd that he and the SGC had taken the existence of aliens, such as the Gou'ald and the Asgard, pretty much in stride but the idea of elves living here on Earth was much harder to swallow. Probably because people expected to find the 'unusual' out there. Home was supposed to be 'safe'. Humans had traveled to the far corners of the Earth and discovered all there was to discover, right? No more surprises… It was all there on National Geographic or PBS.

The general glanced at his watch. He had a good twenty minutes before his scheduled conference call with the Joint Chiefs so he walked over and joined the elf at the window.

He'd made no attempt to conceal his approach but Dobby didn't show any sign that he was aware of him until he spoke. "Does General George sir wants Dobby to leave?" asked the elf in a small voice. His ears seemed to droop even further but he didn't look away from the Stargate.

"Uh- No, Dobby. That's not necessary, unless we have a meeting in here," Hammond said. "What are you doing anyways?"

"I's be waiting sir," the elf said, still watching the gate and rubbing the sock.

"Waiting for what, Dobby?"

"The return of Harry Potter, sir."

"Ah, Dobby… SG1 isn't scheduled to return for another 48 hours. Their first check-in showed no signs of problems. You should probably find something to do to occupy your time while you wait. I'm sure they'll be back before you know it."

The elf's eyes turned to give him a reproachful look before returning to the Stargate.

"Is there a reason you're in the briefing room?" Hammond asked.

"It seems a good place sir." Dobby sighed. "Harry Potter sir makes Dobby promise nots to follow him through the Great Portal unless you or Colonel Nealy gives permissions." The elf gave Hammond a hopeful glance but the general shook his head. "Is hard waiting, sir. What if Harry Potter sir needs our help?"

"It can be hard to wait," the general agreed with perfect understanding. Although the thought of sending the tiny elf to the rescue instead of a contingent of Marines or SFs was rather ludicrous. "Mostly I try not to worry about it unless they ask for help or I know for sure that there is something wrong."

The elf nodded sadly and glanced down at his fist as he tightened his grip on what was definitely a sock.

Hammond pointed at it. "What's this, Dobby?"

The elf's grip loosened and he showed the general what he was holding. It was small, obviously a child's. The color was an emerald green and it had tiny golden balls with wings stitched all over it. "Is present, sir. Harry Potter give. He say Dobby hold onto sock when he's gone. While sock stays warm, Harry Potter sir is alright. Dobby not worry so much."

The elf reached out and lay the sock on Hammond's forearm. It was indeed rather warm, although whether that was because the elf had been holding it so tightly or not was debatable. _Still… That was a clever way for Potter to relieve the elf's fears._

The long fingers soon snatched it back and Dobby looked earnestly at the General. "Ifin yous worries about Colonel Nealy and the others sir, I'm sure Harry Potter sir could get you socks for everyone."

Hammond had a sudden image of the entire wall of his office covered in socks from the various SG teams and other personnel under his command and smiled slightly. _The smell alone…_ "That's okay, Dobby. I'll get by without them. You take good care of that one and make sure to inform me if something's wrong, okay?"

"Yes sir!" The elf stood up on the chair and saluted, which knocked off his red cowboy hat to dangle by its string.

The general patted him on the shoulder and walked towards his office, his mind already on the reports and paperwork he needed to finish by the end of the day.

Dobby watched him go before returning his attention to the small, green sock. Stitched across the cuff with tiny, white sparkling threads were words. The elf ran his thumb over them.

_**Harry Potter, bonded of Dobby the elf**_

_**Status: Alive, Traveling**_

_**Condition: Healthy, Conscious**_

Dobby sighed. _Waiting was hard._

* * *

_**Outer Fields of Stephara**_

Benrat and Argo had given SG1 (except for Daniel) the nickel tour. It was mostly a run through of their farm industry; including the giant looms used for processing the poofla wool and ending with the stone threshing barn and windmill. A strong evening breeze had picked up and was lazily spinning the mill's blades.

Argo was telling Carter about the extensive irrigation system and the numerous watertowers dotting the outer fields. _Strange,_ Jack thought. _She actually looks interested. _Potter was getting his own tour courtesy of Genna's nonstop chatter- everything from what pooflas like to eat to where the best places to hide were. He and Teal'c were mostly nodding in all the right places.

It was early evening and the tour was winding down by the time Daniel and Zimwae rejoined them.

"Yo Daniel! Find anything interesting?" He held up a hand when Daniel looked like he might wax poetic. "I mean interesting to normal people…"

Daniel threw him a dirty look. "Not really, Jack… and how would you know anything about normal people?" he answered. "The table is Ancient in design but there's no clue about what it was used for." He frowned.

"What?" Jack said, sensing there was something else.

"Just… Its condition is amazing, especially considering its age and the fire it survived… The top shows no scorch marks at all. When I asked Zimwae, he just said 'The Blight does not burn'."

"The Blight?"

"Umm… That's what he said. In any case, I don't think we'll be getting much more about the Ruins out of these people. Their records all start after 'the Serpent' left. Harry and I collected some samples for analysis from the Ruins… We'll have to see whether they yield anything later."

"Yeah," Jack said. "Well, we'll round off our time here and head out tomorrow. Doesn't look like these folks have much to trade that the PTB would be interested in…" His voice trailed off as his eyes caught sight of a figure, running hell for leather from one of the outer WatchTowers. A long red scarf flowed behind the man as he ran, catching the eye. "Wonder what that's about?" he said, pointing.

The words had no sooner left his mouth when a mournful, discordant alarm sounded across the fields and everyone turned to look.

Zimwae and Benrat excused themselves and hurried to meet the runner, who stopped and pointed urgently to the west.

"Nothing good, I'd say," Daniel answered.

The village leaders headed back toward the team. Benrat started firing off orders to everyone he met and the fieldworkers dropped their tools and ran for the surrounding barns and houses. More trumpeting alarms were heard and Zimwae looked grim as he came even with them.

"What's up?" Jack asked.

The man's face was a mask. "It needn't concern you, Colonel O'Neill. You and your people need to leave immediately. If you hurry, you can probably make the Chapa'ai."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… just wait a minute," said Jack in alarm. "What's goin' on? Something's obviously coming… Maybe we can help?"

"I do not have time for a debate. There is too much to do to prepare. The Storm will be upon us within the hour. Stay or depart, the choice is yours. Benrat can direct your people if you choose to stay. If you choose to depart, go swiftly."

"Storm? What Storm?" asked Carter, looking at the clear blue sky that stretched in every direction.

"A FireStorm. I must go." Zimwae hurried toward the village.

The townspeople were pouring out of the stone archway and the surrounding farmhouses. Most were carrying shovels, brooms or rakes. Some of the women had heavy rugs and sacks. Kids had buckets and pails. Others were manhandling equipment out of the barns and sheds.

"Genna," Potter said gently, crouching down with a hand on her shoulder. "Exactly _what_ is a FireStorm?"

"It's a monster fire, Harry," she said, looking rather scared. "They come every few years. Bad ones can destroy _everything_."

"A wildfire can move at great speed, O'Neill," said Teal'c in warning.

"He's right sir," said Carter. "Prairie fires can be huge and travel faster than a man can run. It's at least ten miles back to the Gate. I'm not sure we could make it and we'd have no protection at all if it caught us out there."

"The Mwene Mutapa look like they've done this before," Potter said, gesturing to the villagers, who were headed for the far edge of the fields with their buckets and shovels.

"Right." Jack gave a decisive nod. "Looks like our best bet is with the people with a plan. Let's go pitch in, kids."

Benrat eyed them closely when Jack offered their services but he didn't argue. "More hands are always welcome," was all he said before putting them all to work. Even Genna, who was sent to help with moving the pooflas herds inside the village walls.

Daniel and Carter went with Argo to help in the bucket brigades. Benrat led Potter, Teal'c and Jack to the western side of the outermost grainfield.

The breeze had begun to pick and with it came the faint odor of smoke.

In the growing twilight, a long band of red light began to show against the western horizon. It clashed obscenely with the pinks and purples of the sky. The band was moving towards them and spreading its glow as it went. A growing sense of urgency came with the sight.

The far side of the grainfield was marked by several furrows of turned earth, giving it about five feet of protection.

"That will probably not be enough, Benrat," Teal'c said, staring out at the approaching red band.

"Yes, I know. It has also been extremely dry this season," Benrat said soberly. "We will have to set counter-fires and then hope for the best. You are familiar with combating fire?"

"Not on this scale," Teal'c admitted. "However, my home planet of Chulak is very dry. It was often necessary to protect our homes."

"Are all your companions as experienced?" Benrat asked, looking at Potter and then Jack.

The kid shook his head.

Jack shrugged. "Well, I've put out a few grease fires in my time, but that just involved putting a lid over it." Benrat and Teal'c looked blank. Jack rolled his eyes. "_That_ would be a no."

Benrat dismissed them and explained to Teal'c how and where they would begin the back-burns.

The villagers split up into teams of eight. One man would use a ladle to dribble a line of oil where they wanted the counter-fire to start and another would light it with a firebrand. The other six, armed with everything from rakes to shovels to brooms to wet rugs, would stamp out the inner edge until the fire burned in the desired direction. Once the fire was moving outward, the team leapfrogged down the line to start another section.

Jack and Teal'c were handed shovels and Potter got a rake. They joined a team of five villagers, most whose names Jack never did catch, except for Wenar. He was the guy carrying their firebrand, a long metal rod with one end twisted into spiral to hold the tinder. It kept going out as the tinder burned up and Wenar had to run over to relight it. Jack quickly became very popular when he fished out his lighter and used it to restart the reluctant brand. He finally just gave the lighter to Wenar and went back to beating on the fire-edge.

It was exhausting, back-breaking work and Jack quickly decided he'd definitely made a wise choice as a kid to forego being a firefighter.

The smell of smoke from their own fires was nearly over powering as the wind blew it back into their faces, making everyone cough. Potter had rigged up some sort of scarf over his nose and mouth, which looked like a good idea. The others followed suit, until they started looking like a bunch of soot-blackened, frontier bandits from an old Western.

Gradually, the dull red glow was brightening and widening as it drew closer. The whole scene was becoming further animated by sight and sound. The burning grass crackled and snapped and the wind swept the FireStorm onward while inhibiting their own smaller fires from advancing very much. A low roaring noise could be heard… still faint but unmistakably ominous.

Small animals were fleeing the monster, running past the humans as if they weren't even there. Even a small herd of deer-like critters, cut around the fire-line and headed for the river.

The ever-lengthening bow of blackened ground caused by the counter-fires was gradually curving back to encircle the fields and village. The back burning teams were moving continuously away from each other to the north and south.

To the west, a wall of flames, 20-30 feet high in some areas, moved steadily onwards. It lit and heated the atmosphere until evening turned to daylight. Dark clouds of crimson smoke curled aloft till they nearly obscured the sky, while rushing, crashing sounds were becoming almost deafening.

The small counter fires, which were still only about 30 yards across at their widest point, crept slowly out to meet the giant.

The collision of the two made a noise like shotgun fire. Flames shot high in the air scattering red sparks before sputtering and gradually dying back in the center. A small cheer went up from the villagers as the immense wall of flame broke apart. It stalled for a few minutes and then began move to the south and north, skirting along the edge of the backfire line.

Now, two immense waves of fire burned on either side of the Mwene Mutapa village, still moving east.

* * *

_**North of Stephara**_

Daniel tried to remember the last time he'd been so tired.

_Well, maybe after the Atanik armband incident… Or being captured by Chaka… or the whole De-Ascended business… Anyways, he was exhausted._

He and Sam had gone with Argo to help her organize the bucket brigades for the Stepharan pumps.(Not that she needed much help.)

The heavy, wooden pumps were maneuvered into position along the inside of the backburn and used to spray down the edge of the fields in the hope that if the fire jumped across it wouldn't catch. The bucket lines formed up to the nearest Watertower with several teenagers to run the empty buckets back to the tower.

The pumps were fascinating to his archeologist side. _Simple but effective,_ Sam told him. They were approximately six foot tall and consisted of two bottom chambers, which both connected to a higher central chamber and then to a pipe, which ran from the middle chamber up to the top. Each section was sealed shut by a leather flap topped by a stone weight, preventing backflow. On either side of the pipe were long wooden plungers, connected together near the top of the device by two-man, see-saw handles. The see-saw arrangement meant that while one plunger drew back, sucking water into its compartment, the second was forcing the water up into the middle chamber. The next downward plunge on the other side forced even more water into the center, leaving the water nowhere to go but up the pipe.

A nozzle at the top sprayed the water out almost eight yards. Sam was impressed and said that was farther than a modern fire-extinguisher.

The whole pump sat in a large tank, which was where the bucket brigade came in. The pump's biggest problem was mobility. Once the tank was full, the weight made moving one prohibitive, at least until the pump emptied the tank again.

It took about five minutes to pump out the tank once Argo decided to move on to the next section. After a few sections, the two 'pumphandlers' would trade off with a couple of people from the bucket brigade so that there was always a fresh set of hands manning the pumps.

Daniel and Sam spent most of their time helping on the bucketline but finally got to take a turn at the pump handles themselves.

They were slowly working their way north when disaster struck. The momentary victory cheer as the FireStorm wall broke against the western backburn had to be cut short. A strong gust of wind caused the northern wall of flame to surge nearly 100 yards, quickly outdistancing the water crews and leaving only a small ten foot area of backburned grass in between the conflagration and a field on the north side of Stephara.

Within seconds the fire had jumped the barrier. The dry grain went up like the fresh tinder it was.

The counterfire teams ran as quickly as they could to set a new line in front of the windmill and the granary buildings. Argo sent half of the bucket brigade to help.

The line of pumps had to be rotated north to face the new threat. The one on the end closest to the fire didn't have to be moved but it soon ran out of water. The pumphandlers had to desert it and it was lost entirely when the fire jumped unexpectedly. The other five pumps were spread out to cover as much ground as possible. A group of village women arrived with several baskets of eggs. Argo ordered them to add the egg whites to the pump water tanks. The egg and water mixture seemed to work fairly well as a suppressant. The fire sizzled and smoked horribly when it hit the soaked grain. Unfortunately they only had a limited supply of eggs and they quickly ran out.

They'd been fighting this fire for nearly four hours now. Daniel's arms were beginning to feel like rubber when two villagers offered to take over the pumping job. He examined his hands and thought his blisters might have blisters by now. Daniel glanced at Sam. Her hair appeared more gray than blonde and she looked as tired as he felt.

Out in the grainfield, the flames had grown into another wall. This one almost twenty feet high. The roar grew even louder until Daniel could barely make out what Sam was yelling from only a few feet away.

"D-niel! L—k!" She pointed towards the village.

He suddenly realized that even if they stopped the fire here; their firelines had left the flames only one way to go. It was trapped between them and the river and heading straight for Stephara.

* * *

_**South of Stephara**_

Harry stepped back from the fireline for a small breather. He propped the handle of his rake against his shoulder, wincing a bit as he flexed his sore and blistered hands.

After a swift look around, Harry dispelled the modified Bubblehead Charm covering his mouth and nose and pulled down the scarf he'd had over it. The water from his canteen wasn't cold by any means but it sure tasted good.

O'Neill paused and then dropped back next to him. He jabbed his shovel in the ground and gestured for Harry's canteen, which he handed over, grateful that he'd put a Never-Ending Wellspring on it.

After taking a long swallow and handing it back, the colonel gazed out on the FireStorm. It was now working its way around the southern side of the fields but the counterfires seemed to be keeping it at bay.

"These people hold one hell of a wiener roast," he drawled. "Too bad I forgot to bring some…"

Harry cocked his head. "Yeah, too bad. Shame to let such a good fire go to waste."

"Exactly." O'Neill grinned at him. "How're you holding up kid?" he asked.

"Fine. Nothing a nice, hot shower wouldn't fix. You?"

"Well, I'll be feeing this tomorrow in places I'd rather not think about and I sure wouldn't turn down a hot meal to go with that shower…" the colonel said. "So… Gate travel living up to your expectations so far?"

Harry looked out at the fire they'd been fighting for hours and then back at O'Neill. "Well, I must admit I wasn't expecting such a…" He paused.

"Trial by Fire?" O'Neill suggested drolly.

Harry winced. "That's horrible."

"But accurate."

"Well, yes."

They grabbed their tools and started back for the fireline.

"So… this is what you call a MilkRun?" Harry asked.

O'Neill considered for a bit. "Well, there's no evil aliens trying to shoot us… we haven't been caught and tortured yet… and so far there's no plot to enslave the Earth or blow it up… so yes. This is a MilkRun."

"Right." Harry could see his point. "Maybe you should just call them all FirewhiskeyRuns so nobody gets confused."

"No fun in that. What's Firewhiskey?"

"Something from Britain that'll set your socks on fire if you're not careful. It seemed strangely appropriate," Harry said as they reach Benrat and the line.

They were interrupted by a shout.

"Benrat! Have you seen Gennawae?" It was Zimwae, looking rather worse for wear.

Benrat turned. "No, I have not Zimwae… not since before the FireStorm parted. I sent her to help with the poofla herds. She should be in the village."

"She's not. I cannot find her anywhere. Her Adda said she was looking for Sala earlier but I can't find him either." Zimwae spotted Harry and O'Neill. "What about you, Harry Potter… Gennawae was with you during the tour… Did she say anything to you? I have looked in all her usual places and found nothing." He looked hopefully at Harry.

Harry thought about all the spots Genna had shown (dragged) him that afternoon, including… his gaze went to the south and the FireStorm.

_Bloody Hell!_

He tossed his rake at O'Neill and took off running toward the end of the fireline.

"What the- Potter!" the colonel sputtered as he juggled the rake and shovel. "Potter, get back here!"

With a muttered curse, O'Neill threw the implements at Benrat and went after him.


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: An update at last! Sorry about the wait.

A couple of notes...Hope I got the fire information correct, that took a bit of research. The Blight is based on a real material called FM-200. We'll be moving back into canon for the next chapter or two (Heroes) and then on to other things.

Well... hope it was worth the wait. On with the story.

_**Chapter 19: Conflagration**_

* * *

_**South of Stephara**_

Jack caught up with Potter as he slowed down to cut around the end of the fireline and head out into the unburned area between the approaching FireStorm and the river. He quickly snagged the younger man's arm and pulled him sharply around.

"Potter. Where the hell do you think you're going?" he demanded.

The kid gave him an annoyed look. "Genna-" he said. "I think I know where she might have gone."

"For sure?"

"No, of course not. I've been with you lot," Potter said snidely. "She mentioned Sala's favorite place to hide was down near the river, south of town."

"Well, you're not going out there without something more than that," Jack growled. "You'll only get yourself killed… and me along with you."

"Who said _you_ were coming?"

"I did," Jack said flatly. "Now think… What about that gizmo of yours?"

"What gizmo?" Potter snapped.

"The one you used in the Bunker op. Didn't it show you where people were?"

Potter obviously had a light bulb moment. "Of course! The Map! _Way to miss the obvious, mate,_" he muttered to himself. "O'Neill? Could you warn me if anyone comes? I need to open my emergency kit."

"Sure."

Potter shimmied the shrunken matchbox-sized trunk out of his pants pocket and enlarged it. He crouched down and rooted around inside, before emerging with a small handheld device. Then he put the trunk away. Jack still thought that whole shrinking suitcase thing was totally cool… as well as plumb handy.

Potter, meanwhile, was peering at the dots on the tiny screen. It looked like the device covered maybe 50 yards, certainly not far enough to show anyone out in front of the FireStorm… or at least it wasn't before the kid pushed several buttons and the range quadrupled. The screen now showed the two firelines, the small sporadic life-sign dots moving behind the counterfires and there, well outside the safe zone and directly in the path of the oncoming fire, were two dots… One bright white and one a dull red-brown…

Potter pointed to them. "The white one's human and the brown one's an animal… Solid enough for you?"

"Crap… and me without my fireproof shorts," Jack drawled. "Right. Let's go."

They set off at a fast jog toward the dots location, ignoring the shouts behind them.

"I don't suppose you've got any idea about how we're gonna get ourselves out of this little vacation hot-spot, do ya?" asked Jack.

"Not yet, but I hope you thought to bring your sunscreen, because we'll probably be needing it," the kid retorted, not even breaking stride.

Jack smiled to himself. _Yep- the kid was going to fit in just fine._

* * *

_**North of Stephara**_

"We'd better warn Argo, Sam," Daniel said after they realized the danger to the village.

"She probably already knows about it, Daniel," Sam replied.

"I know. The Mutapa Mwene are about as prepared as one can be for something like this. However, it can't hurt to make sure she knows, now can it?"

Sam shook her head and they headed off to find the village Fieldmaster.

Argo had joined the teams setting counterfires near the WindMill and Granary buildings. She and several other women were using rugs and wet sacks to beat out any stray sparks that tried to leap the black barrier.

She stopped and listened to their concerns but she shook her head solemnly. "The FireStorm will not reach the village. The Wall will hold." Her conviction seemed unshakeable.

Daniel shot a glance at Sam, who shrugged.

Argo smiled slightly at their confusion. "Do not worry yourselves about Stephara. Great Mutapa built well." She paused. "No. I am more troubled about these buildings. The Granary contains all our remaining food supplies. We've only harvested a small portion of this year's crops and more than half of the remainder have been consumed by the FireStorm. It is imperative that we save what we have… or the coming cold season will be… costly," Argo said sadly.

Daniel nodded in understanding.

"Of course, we're happy to help, Argo," said Sam.

"It has been most appreciated, Major Carter." Argo's quiet voice was overpowered by rising shouts of alarm. The three of them turned to find that the fire had jumped the backburn barrier again. This time to the WindMill.

One of the large blades, which had been lazily turning in the strong wind created by the FireStorm, had caught a leaping spark. Within moments, the WindMill blades had turned into a flaming pinwheel. Within minutes, the whole structure was ablaze.

Argo ordered the pump crews to concentrate on the Mill. Unfortunately, the pumps couldn't throw the water high enough to do more than contain the lower stories. Sparks rained down from the 4-story structure and threatened to jump to the nearby Granary's thatched roof. The group of women with rugs and sacks were valiantly trying to stamp out any stray sparks but the area was simply too large to police effectively.

Daniel was about to go help them when Sam slapped his arm. "Daniel!" She pointed at the WaterTower in between the blazing windmill and the unburned fields.

"I think I've got an idea. Come on."

* * *

_**South of Stephara**_

Harry kept a wary eye on the Digital Marauder's Map as he and O'Neill ran toward the location of the lifesign dots, whose behavior was rather odd. Instead of running away from the oncoming fire, they seemed to be zig-zagging back and forth. First with the white dot taking them towards Stephara (as well as Harry and O'Neill) and then the brown dot leading them back towards the river. This caused them to go nowhere fast, while the FireStorm was rapidly gaining ground.

The temperature rose as he and O'Neill drew nearer to the fire. The intense heat created a powerful draft of air that rushed toward the blaze and drew everything with it. Bits of chaft pelted the two men as they crossed the last field and entered the uncultivated grasslands.

Although they were still a good distance away from the actual firewall, Harry could already feel the heatwaves of the fire along his left side. Sweat was beading up on his face and trickling down his back, when the Digital Map flickered several times and then went out.

"Blast!" Harry muttered. He stopped and tried to turn it back on. No go.

"What's wrong?" said O'Neil over the roar of the fire and wind.

Harry showed him the dead device. "I think it overheated," he shouted back.

"Oh just perfect," O'Neill said sarcastically.

Harry didn't answer immediately. Wishing he'd thought of it sooner, he put a cooling charm on the Map. It still wouldn't respond, so Harry tucked it into an empty pocket in his tac vest and hoped it wasn't permanently damaged.

"Come on. We should be almost there," Harry said. They set off again, veering southeast toward the last location of the brown and white dots, calling Genna's name as they went.

"Genna!"

"Sala!"

They were downwind of the FireStorm by now. The billowing smoke grew thicker as the fire crept ever closer. Visibility became poor in spite of the bright light coming from the blaze, which made the night seem more like mid-day.

The atmosphere was growing more oppressive. The very air was heavier and seemed to be pressing down on them, making breathing difficult. Coughing was becoming a real problem.

"Genna! (cough, cough) Sala!"

"Come on Genna. (cough) Your Uncle Zim's getting very worried about you."

"Genna, answer us!" yelled O'Neill.

In the end, it was the shrill sound of Sala's whistling chirps that led them to the girl.

"Did you hear that?" O'Neill shouted.

"Hear what? (cough, cough)" asked Harry.

"Never mind. That way." The colonel pointed.

The two miscreants were down in the gully between a couple of hills, tucked against a steep rocky outcrop.

In spite of the danger, Harry gave a wheezy laugh when he first saw them. Genna was attempting to pull the poofla toward the village. She had the rope over her shoulder and was leaning into it with all her weight. At the other end of the rope, Sala was sitting down, refusing to budge… the very image of a stubborn jackass. Added to the picture as they drew closer, was Genna's ongoing commentary about all the reasons they needed to go back to Stephara.

"…We are going to be (cough) in soooo much trouble Sal… Adda will cry… Uncle Zim will restrict us for life… You have no idea… no more iifla cakes… no more exploring (cough, cough)… Please, please come… on…"

"Kids…" O'Neill remarked. "They never do what you tell them to."

"Genna!" Harry called as they scrambled down the hillside. The wind tapered off a bit in the gully. "Are you and Sala alright?"

Her head jerked up in surprise and she let off on pulling the poofla, which practically fell over at the sudden release.

"Harry? Is that you?" she asked hopefully, "And Uncle Zim?"

"Uh… no. Actually, it's me and Colonel O'Neill."

She ignored this and grabbed Harry around the waist in a fierce hug. "Oh Harry! Sala's being stubborn and I can't get him back home and maybe I'm not even going the right way and the fire's coming and Uncle Zim's gonna be mad (cough, cough)" Genna babbled.

"Impressive lung capacity," O'Neill remarked over the girl's head.

Harry rolled his eyes and patted Genna's back. "(Cough) It's alright Genna, but you're going to have to calm down now. We need to get out of here."

"Alright, Harry," She sniffled a bit but let go of him and swiped at her eyes, "But what about Sala? He's being... difficult." The poofla had regained his feet and was now tugging hard on the rope. He clearly would have buggered off sharpish if he'd had his way… not that Harry could blame him.

The FireStorm wasn't visible from the gully… yet. The fire's roar was muted but growing closer. A smokey haze hung in the air, swirling around them. A deceptively safe pocket from the storm.

_One thing they did not need was dragging a hysterical animal through a blazing wildfire, _Harry thought. "I can try something Genna… but it'll make him a bit confused for a while. He won't understand what's going on. You'll have to look after him until it wears off. Alright?"

Genna looked hesitant. "Alright. It won't hurt him, will it?"

"No," Harry said solemnly. "Here- you hold him steady for a Mo." With Genna holding Sala's head, Harry quickly laid his hand over the poofla's eyes and cast a mild sleepwalker jinx. The animal stopped struggling immediately. Sala's unfocused eyes were at half-mast and he leaned into Genna, who patted his back.

"Potter!" O'Neill called sharply. "Let's ignore your strange new ability to hypnotize the local poofy-sheep… We've got a more pressing problem right now!"

"Huh?" He looked up to find the colonel pointing up the hill back in the direction they'd come from. The FireStorm wall had topped the hills to the west and north, cutting off the way back to Stephara. The steep rocky embankment blocked their way up the nearest hillside, which only left the path to the south. Unfortunately that led them even further away from the safety of the village or the river… Their safe pocket was looking more and more like a deadly trap now.

Harry exchanged glances with O'Neill, and then they grabbed Genna and her poofla and moved.

"Run!"

* * *

_**North of Stephara**_

"You want to what?" asked Argo as though she couldn't believe what Sam had said.

"We want to break the WaterTowers on either side of the WindMill in such a way that the water will snuff out the main fire here and saturate the area surrounding the Granary to prevent whatever flames are left from spreading any further," Sam said logically and calmly. Thiswas the most practical way to contain the situation in her mind.

Argo struggled a bit through her explanation and a few of the surrounding villagers looked speechless.

Sam glances at Daniel. "We'd also probably need to detonate some charges on the WindMill first. That way, the deluge should overwhelm the remaining structural fire as well."

Daniel looked from her back at the uncertain Fieldmaster. "What Sam is trying to say… is that by knocking down the rest of the WindMill (which looks like a total loss anyways) the water from the Towers will hopefully put it out as well as protect the Granary." At her further hesitation he said, "Look at it this way… Are you willing to sacrifice two WaterTowers to save the Granary? You said that it was what was important."

Argo nodded hesitantly and looked at her fellow villagers, who were listening.

One soot-covered man stepped forward. "I believe I understand what the strangers mean to do, Argo. It is worth trying."

"What of the loss of the collected water, Farvel. If it fails, there will be none for the pumps here," Argo said.

"There are other WaterTowers. More distant but within reason," Farvel answered.

"If you decide to try this… we need to get started," Sam said. "It's all about the timing, if this is going to work."

"Very well. How can we help you?" asked Argo.

Sam ran down a mental checklist in her head. "Okay. Daniel pick out a few people to help you set some C4 on the WaterTowers. You're going to need to take out the supports closest to the Mill. Use your detonator for those. Argo, I'll need several people to help me put my charges on the main support beams of the WindMill or at least those we can reach. We'll also need the pumps aimed to help us get as close as possible. Daniel, we'll need the Towers to go directly after we blow the Mill, Okay?"

"Affirmative Sam," Daniel said. He and two volunteers headed for the first WaterTower.

Sam divided her blocks of C4 into four parts and quickly dug to the blasting caps and remote detonator. After explaining how and where her volunteers needed to place each charge, she grabbed her own kit and headed for the Mill.

Of course, approaching a burning building wasn't as easy as talking about it. The grass was still ablaze on the north side of the WindMill, which cut off access there. Argo ordered the pumps aimed toward the lower part of the building. With the pumps sending a shower of water and steam up, it made setting the C4 a wet but doable proposition. Sam slapped the grey block against the corner-post so that it stuck and added the cap. She quickly backed away and started for the safety zone. Her successful volunteers soon followed.

As the last one reached the safe zone, Sam tapped her radio. "Daniel- We're ready to go here. What's your status?"

There was a pause before his voice came back. **"Copy, Sam. We're just finishing the second Tower now. Give us a minute to get out of the way."**

"Copy." Sam turned to Argo and the others. "They're almost ready."

"Then let us proceed, Major Carter and hope that Mutapa's wisdom has guided his children's decision."

"Let's all hope so, ma'am."

The radio squawked. **"Sam, we're clear. You can hit it."**

"Copy, Daniel." She pulled out her remote detonator and flicked open the plastic safety lid that protected the switch. "Initiating in 5… 4…. 3… 2… 1…"

_**BOOM!**_

* * *

_**South of Stephara**_

"To quote a kickass movie: I'm getting too old for this shit!" Jack muttered to himself as they ran for their lives. _Although it's still better than retirement,_ he thought.

He and Potter each had a hand around Genna's arms as they booked it south as fast as they could go. The poof-sheep trotted docilely along behind them thanks to whatever mumbo-jumbo Potter had managed on it…_One thing they didn't need to deal with right now was a hysterical animal. A monster wildfire was more than enough, thanks._ Unfortunately, Genna was beginning to tire from the hard pace and the advancing fire was rapidly outdistancing them all.

The group followed the steep rockwall down the length of the valley. Jack was hoping to find a break that they could slip through. Then they could cut west and head towards the safety of the river. Unfortunately, they'd had no luck. As it was, they were traveling parallel to the FireStorm but not gaining much distance.

The smoke grew noticeably thicker as the wall of flames topped the western hill to their right and began to descend into the valley. Coughing and choking, Sala and the trio finally reached the end of the rockwall and started up the irregular slope, trying not to stumble over the scattered, feet-stubbing stones.

The smoky haze made seeing more than a few feet ahead impossible. Even the fire itself was reduced to a muted red-yellow glow and a rising heatwave. Sweat was beading up and drawing tracks down their sooty faces. The going was even slower now that they couldn't see well. With no guide but the growing heatwall at their backs, urgency dogged their steps. Jack cautiously picked his way up the incline… Hopefully it was the way out of this deathtrap.

They'd only gone a few hundred yards by his estimation when they ran into another rockwall and were forced to divert around it.

"For cryin' out loud!"

"Just so," Potter coughed out.

"I don't suppose you have any more tricks in that emergency kit of your?" Jack asked hopefully. "A couple of those fire shield blankets firefighters carry in case they get trapped would be nice about now…"

"I'll be sure to put some in for our next trip," Potter said."(Cough) …but that won't help right now."

"Are we trapped, Harry? Colonel Jack?" Genna asked in a small, scared voice.

Potter rubbed her shoulder. "I don't know, Genna. I hope not."

"Just keep movin'," Jack said gruffly. "We'll keep lookin', 'til we find a way out…" _Or until we can't,_ he thought.

The three of them kept trudging along, closely followed by the poofla. The fire was now within 30 yards of their position. The red glow in the smoke began to solidify back into snapping, leaping flames and crept steadily closer. The air seemed to burn in their lungs at every breath. The heat grew to uncomfortable levels as it radiated against the rocks and bounced back at them from both sides.

_Still… hot rocks were better than open flames._ They slogged along the rockwall in single file with Potter in the lead.

Another coughing fit almost had Jack tripping over Genna and Sala when Potter abruptly stopped in front of them.

"Problem? (cough, cough)," Jack asked politely.

The kid pointed ahead. There was now a strong red glow in front of them._Just wonderful. _ "You know- this day just gets better and better," he said. "Potter, when I mentioned a wieny roast… I guess I forgot to tell you I didn't want to _be_ what got roasted."

"I'll be sure to tell our travel agent… No deaths by roasting," Potter said dryly.

Genna hugged Sala to her and reached for Potter's hand. He glanced away from the fire and down at her.

"Are we going to die, Harry?"

The kid seemed unsure what to say. He looked searchingly at the child and then at Jack, his face indecisive.

Whatever choice Potter was debating Jack figured a little push in their favor couldn't hurt. "If you're holding back on any life-saving goodies in that emergency bag of tricks of yours… Now's the time to use them," Jack said over the sound of the fire.

Potter gave him a short nod and then laid a hand on Genna's shoulder. "No, Genna… We're not going to die. Not if I can help it," he said firmly. "I need you to stay with Colonel Jack until it's safe to move, alright? Colonel… You need to keep her and Sala as low as you can. Stay directly behind me. Got that?"

"Keep low and behind you, got it," Jack drawled. "Just what do you think you're gonna do?"

Potter glanced at the nearing firewall. "There's no time for long explanations... the short form is: I'm going to try to shield us from the flames. I think I can hold about 8-10 feet but I don't know that for sure or for how long. Hopefully it's enough." Without saying more, Potter whirled away to face the FireStorm.

Jack decided the kid was right about this not being the time for arguments and explanations. "Well, Genna… You heard the man. Come on."

He settled on his knees behind Potter where he could keep an eye on him and the fire and drew the girl closer. She pulled Sala onto her lap and leaned her face against him.

Meanwhile, Potter stood with his back to them. He made a complicated sweeping motion with either hand and then held them palm out like some traffic cop calling a halt to the advancing fire. A shimmering, transparent bubble materialized around them. Immediately, the sounds of the fire became muted and the incredible heatwaves diminished slightly. Breathing became much easier, although it was still plenty hot.

Genna gasped.

"Whoa!" Jack's voice sounded loud in the quiet of the shield bubble. He lowered it a tad. "Okay, Potter… that's … different. Not something you mentioned on your resume', was it? Uh… You figure that'll hold off the fire?"

"Well, I'm hoping…" Potter said shortly without turning around. "It's not something I've gone out of my way to test before, eh?"

"This'll teach you. Plan ahead, I always say."

"Right. How short-sighted of me."

"Exactly."

Their voices trailed away as they tensely watched the fire pick its way closer until it touched the shield. There was a muffled sizzling sound and odd little blue lights began to spark away up the shield from the contact points. The fire was now leaping and dancing all around them. It reminded Jack of a fireplace with a glassed in door… except that they were the one's inside. Potter tensed and seemed to brace himself against a heavy weight. He was actually leaning towards his open hands, like a mime against an invisible wall.

After several minute of watching the flames rise higher and higher, Genna suddenly piped up. "Colonel Jack? Is it getting hotter in here?"

Sure enough, judging from the sweat running off his own brow, the temperature had definitely risen a few degrees. _Oh boy!_ he thought.

"Potter… We've got a problem," Jack said rising up on one knee.

"I'm a might busy right now, Colonel," the kid said through gritted teeth. "Blast!"

With a suddenness that was absolutely terrifying, the shimmering walls of the shield bubble abruptly contracted… at least a foot on either side of them.

"Holy Crap!" Jack grabbed Genna and Sala and pulled them backwards, 'til they nearly bumped in to Potter. He stole a look over his shoulder at the Englishman.

Potter's eyes were clamped shut in concentration and his extended arms were visibly trembling.

"Potter?!" Jack asked in concern. "It's shrinking… It's not supposed to be doing that, right?"

"Noooo…" the kid gritted out. "It's fighting me." As if to emphasize his statement, the shield shrank another foot. Potter was physically pushed back, his feet scrambling a bit to re-brace himself and hold his arms steady.

Genna leaped out of Jack's arms and threw herself against Potter's left side. "Help him, Colonel Jack!"

Jack cautiously stood and steadied Potter on the right. "Is this helping Harry?" he asked.

"A-a little… thanks," the kid panted. "I-I'm not sure how long I can hold it."

Considering just how hot it was growing inside the shield, the colonel didn't think it was going to matter. They'd probably die of heat stroke even it Potter did hold out long enough. Bracing the younger man more firmly, he said as much. "I think our best chance is for you to teleport us out of here."

"Tele-? Oh. You mean Apparate. Alright. Just one- no two problems…" He stopped speaking to catch his breath.

"Well, what?!" Jack snapped.

"Well… one. A destination. I don't know this planet all that well."

"Just aim for that bridge over the river, that should be safe. What's problem number two?" Jack asked.

"The shield. I'll have to drop the shield before I jump us."

Jack winced. He glanced out at the fire, which showed no signs of abating. The colonel looked back in time to see Potter's leg buckle and he fell to one knee before Jack could catch him. A shiver seemed to pass through the shield and it contracted again. It was only about six feet across and shorter than Jack was tall.

"I don't think we've got much choice."

Potter nodded. He bit his lip and then pushed himself straight again. "Alright. We'll try it. Genna… You need to put one hand on my arm and one on Sala. Hang on tight. Colonel… same for you. DO NOT LET GO. Everyone ready?"

Jack and Genna nodded, although she looked confused.

"Alright. The river… the river… the bridge across the river… Pray this works… 'cause here we go…" Potter said as he dropped the shield and jumped.

* * *

_**North of Stephara**_

Daniel flinched a bit as the lower section of the burning WindMill exploded outwards, flinging small pieces of flaming wreckage into the air. Many of the watching villagers, including Argo, cried out in alarm and covered their heads, although the 'safe zones' were well out of range. As debris from the explosion subsided, the remaining supports creaked and groaned. One by one they started to snap. The forward section bearing the WindMill's blades went first. Then the whole structure folded in on itself like a house of cards, ending with showers of dust and sparks. Within less than a minute, the 4-story building was reduced to an eight foot pile of still burning rubble.

Daniel watched but kept up his own silent countdown in his head and listened for Sam's OK on his detonation of the WaterTowers.

While the Granary was probably safe at this point, the new danger lay in all the bits of burning debris that the explosion had scattered all over the surrounding area, many of which were starting smaller fires in the fresh, dry tinder.

The radio squawked in his ear. **"Okay Daniel. Looks like we're good to go. Over." **Came Sam's bright, cheerful voice.

"Roger Sam," Daniel answered. "WaterTowers 1 and 2 will go in 5… 4… 3…. 2… 1…" He flicked the switch on his remote.

_**BOOM! KABOOM!**_

Two simultaneous blasts tore one set of legs off the Towers on either side of the WindMill/Granary complex. The 20 foot Tower nearest to Daniel gave an ominous groan and tipped slowly sideways towards the Mill. It fell with a mighty crash, echoed by the second WaterTower. Thousands of gallons of water flooded the area surrounding the Mill. The small fires caused by burning wreckage were instantly snuffed out and only the large pile of rubble from the former WindMill was left smoking in sullen isolation.

The water quickly spread out before soaking into the soil. The side that hit the wall of flame beyond the Mill evaporated in giant clouds of steam and the Fire stalled. The now saturated ground created its own fairly effective fire-break.

The villagers gave a small cheer as they realized that the plan had worked and Daniel felt like celebrating himself. They weren't done yet but this felt like a small victory against the FireStorm they'd been fighting for hours.

_Jack_ was_ right about one thing…" _Daniel mused. _There was justsomething about blowing things up… sort of cathartic. _

Argo turned to him as Sam came jogging over from the other safe zone.

She bowed her head rather formally before looking up. "Major Carter… Doctor Jackson… Our thanks. The people of Stephara owe you a great debt."

Daniel bowed in return. "Such a debt is not necessary, Argo. We only did what we could to help, but you are very welcome."

She looked slightly confused. "Very welcome?"

"He means… We were glad to help out," Sam said. "Argo, what needs to be done against the remaining fire?"

The fire in the northern fields had now been trapped between the firelines, the river and the rockwall of the village. The river was wide enough that the fire had trouble getting across and the back burn crews had managed to widen their barrier to 25 feet or more, while they'd been dealing with the WindMill. With no other avenue, the fire was only left with the fields between it and the village wall.

Argo surveyed the scene. "Do not worry yourselves further. The fire has been contained. If the FireStorm manages to cross the river… it would be troublesome but it can be dealt with."

"But what about the village?" Sam asked. "What if the fire crosses the wall?"

Argo looked surprised. "That is not possible. As I said before… Blight does not burn." Seeing they still looked worried, she patted Sam's arm. "You will see. All is well. Thank you again for your assistance. However, I must get back to my duties." She smiled at Daniel and bustled off.

"What do you make of that?" Daniel asked quietly.

Sam frowned. "I'm not sure…"

"Of what are you unsure, Major Carter?" asked Teal'c's deep voice from behind them.

"Teal'c!" They both said, startled.

"Don't sneak up on us like that," Sam said. "I was just saying that Argo seems absolutely sure that Stephara is in no danger…. and that the wall will stop the fire…"

"You do no agree?" Teal'c asked, as they watched the fire burn steadily toward Stephara.

"Well, if the fire can jump 20 feet to the WindMill blades, it could certainly get over a 10 foot rockwall. I just think some precautions should be taken… that's all," she said firmly.

"Then either Argo knows something that we do not or she is foolishly blind and will reap the consequences," Teal'c intoned.

"I suppose." Sam turned to Teal'c. "I thought you were helping on the other side of town. Where's Harry and the Colonel?"

"I was assisting Benrat and the others on the firelines south of Stephara… However, the situation now seems in hand. The Fire has been guided away from the fields and is heading to the south and east," Teal'c explained. "I have not seen O'Neill or Harry Potter for some time now. They left to help Zimwae locate the child, Genna, who is missing."

"She's missing? Did they find her?"

"I do not know. Just that they went to help find her."

In the meantime, the Fire had reached Stephara's Wall. Wherever it touched the rock, small puffs of greenish smoke wafted out. The flames seemed to shrink back from the smoke. Gradually, as more flames came in contact along the Wall, more and more smoke emerged. Within minutes the fire had died down to a line of blackened grass and red embers.

The wind quickly dispersed the smoke hanging near the Wall and a vaguely sweet odor wafted by them.

Daniel, who had been riveted by the phenomenon, stared intently at Stephara's Wall. He shook himself out of it. "Sam… I think I know what the Ancients were so interested in here."

Teal'c and Sam nodded.

"Indeed."

* * *

_**The River**_

Harry felt an incredible blast of heat wash over him just before the squeezing pressure of Apparition snatched him and his passengers away. He would have breathed a sigh of relief if the heavy constriction had allowed it.

Apparition had never been his favorite method of travel. While it could be uncomfortable for a single person, the horrendous pressure and level of difficulty increased astronomically with every extra passenger or large object. Needless to say, trying to Apparate with three extras felt like he was attempting to stuff an elephant through a tube meant for grapefruit. Not to mention the small matter of holding his strongest shield against a wildfire before even trying this second Herculean feat.

A sharp 'CRACK!' announced their arrival at their destination. It was much darker and cooler, so they'd at least made it away from the fire. Harry didn't bother to open his eyes… he just concentrated on easing his labored breathing and keeping his shaky knees from buckling.

Genna still had her arm around his waist. It felt like she was squeezing the stuffing out of him. O'Neill, on the other hand, let go as soon as their feet hit solid ground. He gave Harry a pat on the shoulder as he stepped back.

"Nice going, kid. We made- Whoooaaa!" O'Neill's congratulatory speech ended suddenly in a rather unmanly shout, followed by a loud splash.

Harry's eyes popped open. He and Genna were standing in the middle of Stephara's narrow bridge. There was no sign of O'Neill… However, the sputtering and cursing coming from below soon revealed the colonel's location.

"Potter! I swear… if you did that on purpose- I'll… I'll assign you to be Teal'c's sparring partner for a month."

Harry exchanged glances with Genna as she released him and Sala. They knelt down and peered over the low, calf-high edge of the bridge.

Sure enough. There was a wet, bedraggled-looking Jack O'Neill standing waist-deep in the slow-moving river below them.

Genna giggled.

Harry vainly tried to keep the grin off his face.

"What are you doing down there, Colonel Jack?" Genna asked.

The disgruntled Colonel swiped his waterlogged hat out of the river as it floated by. He frowned at it before shrugging and putting it back on. "I'm fishing! What's it look like?"

Genna looked wide-eyed. "Really? You should've stayed up here. I think you scared them all away," she said seriously.

"Riight…" O'Neill drawled sarcastically.

Harry sniggered.

The colonel's glare centered on him. "And you! What are you laughing at! You got somethin' you wanna say?" A rivulet of water ran from his hat down his face.

"I'd say you seriously get into your hobbies, Colonel," Harry replied, his eyes twinkling.

"Hardy-Har-Har," O'Neill said as he waded toward the bank. "_You_ seriously need to work on your aim, Potter."

Harry and Genna walked down to meet O'Neill on the riverbank, where he was hoisting himself up.

"Hey- We made it, didn't we? We have all our fingers and toes, right?" Harry said, protesting. Then he glanced at his hands. "We _do_ have all our fingers and toes, don't we? Sala still has his tail?"

Genna gave him an odd look but showed her ten fingers. Sala's tail wagged and he gave a short chirp.

O'Neill's expression was sour. "Tell me you're joking…" he said as he attempted to wring out his shirttail. While his attention was diverted, Harry cast a low-level warming charm on the colonel's clothes. Hopefully it would help him to dry out faster and keep him from catching a cold.

"Ah… mostly," Harry said. "Actually, I was just making sure you can count that high."

O'Neill looked from him and then back at the river. "Careful. That river's awfully close and inviting. You may need a rinse off, Smartass."

"Time to go, I see." Harry backed away, smiling broadly but then he winced. He gingerly reached up to touch his cheek. The skin felt tight… and very tender.

"Are you alright Harry?"

"Somethin' wrong Potter?" Genna and O'Neill asked together.

"No, no. I think I'm going to have the mother of all sunburns though."

"That's what you get for trying a head-to-head faceoff against a roaring Wildfire. Speaking of which, we're gonna want a _thorough_ explanation at the debriefing tomorrow."

Harry briefly considered using a memory charm on O'Neill but decided against it. The Colonel's matter of fact attitude was reassuring and if he wanted to continue on the team, explanations would have to come sooner or later… although he'd have preferred later.

The colonel had turned and was headed up the path to Stephara, back straight and boots squishing. Harry and Genna followed.

The village seemed oddly quiet and deserted, or at least Harry didn't see any people around... most probably they were out fighting the FireStorm. Although , from what he could see, the fire to north seemed to have died down and the section they had escaped from was now moving away to the south and east.

Genna was skipping along at his side with Sala at her heels. (The sleep-walking jinx had apparently worn off.) "You were amazing Harry! Just like a hero in the Old Tales… I can't wait to tell my Adda and Uncle Zim. How did you get us here so fast? It was like magic!" she said enthusiastically.

Harry cringed. _Oh Merlin… that could cause no end of trouble…_ He did some fast thinking. Full Obliviates weren't used on young children because they could cause some nasty side-effects, but in this case, all that was really needed was a small nudge toward a more 'rational' explanation. _Problem was… He really liked Genna._ Guilt gnawed an acid rimmed hole in his conscience but he didn't see another choice.

Harry grabbed her hand and slowed down enough to allow O'Neill to get well ahead of them.

"Genna…" he said quietly.

Her big, brown eyes look up. "Yes, Harry?" she asked trustingly.

A sick feeling flooded through Harry's stomach but he ignored it. With a whispered _Legilimans_ and a deft twist of his mind, the wizard entered her memories. Harry skimmed lightly to the most recent ones. He dropped a light obscuring haze over the memory of his shield and their Apparition and then concentrated on an image of them fleeing the fire and making it to the river. With a smirk he added O'Neill falling in by mistake in the heavy smoke and ended with the four of them walking back to the village.

Harry backed out of Genna's mind and she blinked once or twice before smiling at him. "Yes?" she said again.

"I just… think you'll have plenty to tell your family, Genna," he answered. The whole procedure had only taken a few seconds.

He turned and found the Colonel staring at them.

"Debriefing," O'Neill said shortly, somehow making it both a question and a threat.

"Debriefing."

_Time to pay the Goblins… as the saying went,_ Harry thought.

* * *

_**Back to the Gate**_

Late the next morning, the five teammates set off, following the gravel road back toward the Stargate. The Mwene Mutapa had bidden them a fond farewell. They hadn't had much sleep but at least they were a bit cleaner and drier. (Whatever was called for.)

The mighty FireStorm had passed and there was little left in its wake. The rolling hills of golden grasses were mostly gone, except for a few scattered patches here and there that the fire had jumped over. There was just mile upon mile of blackened earth, a strong, nearly overpowering smell of creosote and a lingering sense of desolation.

Jack listened idly while Carter and Daniel nattered on about this great 'rock' find. Potter and Teal'c were quietly bringing up the rear.

"According to my initial analysis, this Blight has an incredibly efficient mechanism for fire suppression, attacking it on a physical as well as a chemical one," Carter rattled off.

"You mean like a halon agent?" asked Potter, actually sounding interested.

"Not exactly. Halon acts on a purely chemical level to interrupt the chain reaction of the combustion process. The traditional 'fire tetrahedron' of fire extinguishment shows that there are four essential elements to a fire. Heat. Fuel. Oxygen and the chemical reaction of combustion. Removal of any one of the four elements will lead to extinguishment. For example… adding water removes the heat or the application of chemical foams… they separate the fuel from the oxygen source. This Blight contains a mineral with amazing heat absorption capabilities and exposure to heat causes a thermal decomposition that halts flame propagation."

_Carter sounded way too enthused about this._

"Translation?" Jack snarked.

"It produces a gas which halts combustion, while the rock absorbs the heat, sir."

"And?"

"_And?_Sir, this could be incredibly valuable. Imagine if most architectural fires could be put out before they even got started or escaped a single room."

"Well, why didn't you say so in the first place," Jack drawled. He watched in amusement as she sputtered a bit.

"Ja-ack," Daniel said, spoiling his fun.

"Oh, all right… So. Instead of hauling out the old red fire extinguisher, we just throw rocks at it, eh? Sounds like hard sell to me. What's Zimwae and his crew think about all this?" Jack asked.

"They're all for it," Daniel replied. "Stephara is still going to need food for the coming year. So that's one trade item... and this climate means lumber is always in high demand. I suggested we'd be more than happy to trade either one for some of this Blight rock. Zimwae and Argo were very interested."

"Glad everything's workin' out," said Jack, as the team finally approached the paved area surrounding the DHD and the Stargate.

This time Jack noticed how the outer edges of the paving stones were scorched black. The Ancients had made the paved area wide enough so that the Stargate sat serenely in the middle… apparently none the worse for wear, despite the conflagration that had consumed the surrounding grasses. _Smart folks, those Ancients._

"Well, it seems that in spite of their initially cool welcome, we've grown on them, sir," Carter said.

"Yeah Jack," Daniel said as he strode toward the DHD. "It seems that Zimwae found our helping them fight the FireStorm and protecting Stephara a mark of true friendship. Of course, your bringing his niece back alive didn't hurt either." He punched in the address for Earth and touched the red activation crystal. The Stargate connected with a WHOOSH!

"Indeed. Benrat and the others I spoke with were most impressed, O'Neill," rumbled Teal'c.

"I'm impressed," said Carter. She typed in her ID code on her wrist GDO. "I didn't think it was possible to outrun a fire like that. From what Genna said, you almost didn't make it. How did you manage to pull that off, sir?"

The OK from Stargate Command squawked through on their radios and they headed for the Gate.

"I was a _little_ surprised myself Carter," Jack said. He stopped on the platform next to the shimmering puddle. "Okay, Potter. You first this time… and try not to break your neck on the ramp in the GateRoom… I've got several questions for you later." He stared significantly at the kid, who met his gaze levelly.

"I'll see you on the other side," was all he said before stepping through.

"Come on kids… Let's go home."


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: Here she is! Fresh off the presses... er, word processor.

Hope it works for everyone. I worked very hard on the debriefing scene in particular... 19 handwritten pages. Whoo! That's tiring just thinking about it. The scientific explanation of magic took an interesting twist while I was writing it and I let it run. Amazing what your imagination cooks up sometimes.

In any case this chapter turn out long than I'd estimated (although I doubt any of you will complain about that!) I even chopped off the ending at a better (if evil cliffie) place.

_**Chapter 20: Intermission**_

* * *

_**SGC and Infirmary**_

Harry was beginning to fear that Gate-travel was going to be just as embarrassing for him as traveling by Portkey. His entrance could have been worse… he could have broken something besides his dignity.

_No one else seems to have a problem with it… at least no one shot me. _Harry sighed to himself, feeling rather put upon as he lay sprawled on the Gate ramp.

The wormhole sensation of flying had been the same as the first time round but Harry had deliberately tried to think about slowing down. It had worked to some extent because at least he hadn't entered the GateRoom in a headlong dive. However, he'd still had enough speed to make him stumble and crash into the ramp's guardrail and then to the floor.

The SFs positioned in the GateRoom evidently thought trouble was following and every single gun came up to center on the Stargate. Harry decided staying down was safer than standing. The atmosphere was a bit tense for a few moments until the rest of SG1 came strolling through the portal in their usual laidback way. O'Neill motioned for the blokes with guns to stand down. Teal'c casually leaned over and pulled Harry to his feet with one hand.

"He makes a marvelous entrance, doesn't he sir?" O'Neill said with a jaunty wave to General Hammond up in the Controlroom. The general responded with his usual stoic (yet somehow long suffering) nod and informed them that the debriefing would be held after they were released by Dr. Fraiser. The team trooped toward the Infirmary for their post-mission check-ups.

_Just another perfectly normal day, _Harry thought ironically, brushing off his pants.

Medical personnel had descended on them like locusts on a fresh field when they entered the Infirmary… helping the team remove tac vests and armaments and then pressing them to sit on various beds.

Dr. Fraiser headed straight for Colonel O'Neill (obviously the biggest trouble-spot in her opinion). The colonel was loudly protesting the oxygen masks that the doctor had ordered as soon as she'd found out about the amateur firefighting.

"Smoke inhalation is not something to ignore, Colonel," Fraiser said sternly. "You'll be keeping that on for a full hour and then we'll see."

Daniel, Sam and Teal'c calmly and quietly complied while O'Neill complained right up until the mask went over his mouth. (Something about totalitarian medical dictatorships.)

"An Hour!"

"Yes, an hour. Looks like you've got some minor first-degree burns here. I'll get you something for those as well," she said after making some notations on his chart.

Harry found himself cornered by the forbidding figure of Anne Fairwell. She put one hand on her hip and pointed at the nearest bed.

"Sit!"

He sat.

She surveyed him critically before shaking her head and handing him the oxygen mask. She gestured for him to put it on. "Harry Potter. Just what did you do to yourself?"

Harry smiled in what he hoped was a disarming manner. "Umm… Too much time in the Tanning Booth?"

Anne frowned disapprovingly at his answer. Her arms crossed and she tapped her foot. (She looked quite threatening really.)

"Uh, right." Harry cleared his throat and looked away sheepishly. "I got a might too close to a large blaze, is all." He quickly hid behind the oxygen mask, hoping to remind the nurse that he didn't need any more injuries.

"All!" The lieutenant sputtered as she helped him adjust the straps to hold the mask on his sore face. (Unfortunately he had gotten a little singed.) Afterwards, she plucked the blue pen out of her coat pocket and waved it in the familiar swishing manner for a Notice-Me-Not charm. "All?!" her voice rose significantly once the charm was up.

"That's a tricky spot of transfiguration," Harry complimented through his oxygen mask, gesturing toward her wand/pen and hoping to distract her from the verbal tongue-lashing he was about to receive. Wands _were_ especially hard to transfigure successfully.

No Such Luck.

"Nevermind that!" she ground out. "Why didn't you use a flame-freezing charm or just Apparate away, for Merlin's sake?" the nurse demanded. Anne's tone of voice contrasted greatly with her touch as she gently spread a clear ointment over the burns on his hands and forearms.

Harry glanced around to make sure no one was paying them any attention and then added his own silence bubble to her charm. "Well frankly, I didn't think of the freezing charm at the time. That probably would have worked better. I used a shield. I was with two Muggles… one being Colonel O'Neill, so I tried to avoid a magical solution except as a last resort." Harry's gaze fell to their hands. The ointment was easing the sting out of the burns. "Mostly, we just tried to get out of the Fire's path… but it was moving too quickly. Unfortunately I ended up having to Apparate all of us to safety anyways," he said glumly.

"You Apparated two Mundanes to safety?!"

She sounded rather stunned and he looked up, curious as to why. "Yeah, well… two Muggles and the girl's pet poofla," Harry clarified.

Anne's mouth opened and closed a couple of times before she squeaked out, "Three…? I didn't think that was possible Harry."

He shrugged and hung his head. "I had to haze the little girl's memory… She was only seven." Harry still wished that hadn't been necessary.

Anne finished with his hands and patted his arm. "As long as you were careful, she should be just fine Harry. Magicals are taught those spells for that very reason." She stopped and gave him a long look before she started dabbing ointment on his face. "You didn't Obliviate Colonel O'Neill?" she asked, without sounding judgmental one way or the other.

Harry glanced over at the team's leader, who was currently snarking at the doctor for slapping his hand when he'd started picking at the ointment on his heat rash. Janet Fraiser gave O'Neill 'the Look' and threatened to do it again if he wouldn't behave.

"No. I didn't." Harry answered quietly after glancing back. "He wants a full explanation at the briefing too."

"Are you going to comply? You could get into some serious trouble over the Statute of Secrecy."

"I know… although there are ways around that." Her expression turned curious but he shrugged and then considered her first question. "They're smart. I knew from the start that they'd eventually demand answers. They saw enough in England to set off alarms and it's more surprising that Dr. Jackson and Major Carter didn't push me about it back then. Instead, they've played straight with me (for the most part). O'Neill even put me on his team… It's been a long time since I was a part of something…" Harry shifted uncomfortably. "The point is that if any Muggles can handle the explanation- these ones can. They're certainly no strangers to keeping secrets."

Anne's mouth quirked. "Sounds like you've already decided." She finished her dabbing and capped the jar.

"I'm not looking forward to it, but yeah." Harry considered the few blisters on the palm of his left hand and tried not to fidget with the tubes from the oxygen mask. After a moment's contemplation, he looked up to find Dr. Fraiser trying to look in their direction only to be distracted by the charms and so he dispelled them with a quiet "Finite." The doctor stared at them before shaking her head and returning to her examination of Teal'c's arm.

He exchanged a relieve glance with Anne and changed the subject. "This ointment works well… Is it 'normal' or did you make it up?"

The nurse blushed but shook her head. "It's primarily a standard recipe for a topical antibiotic. I just added a few 'extra' ingredients for pain and skin regeneration.

"What like Murtlap?"

"Uh, yes. Essence of Murtlap for pain, powdered Billywig wings, some aloe and Vitamin E…"

Their conversation wandered off into a comparison of ingredients commonly used in Europe vs. the Americas while Anne stored away the ointment on the med-cart and started on the rest of the basic tests that made up a post-mission exam.

At exactly one hour, O'Neill took his mask off and made noises about leaving, which a reluctant Dr. Fraiser conceded to after checking that their stats all looked in order. Harry gave Anne a final wave and followed the team out.

* * *

_**SGC: Briefing Room**_

The debriefing didn't take as long as Harry had estimated it would, given that the mission was originally an archeological brainchild inspired by Daniel Jackson. While he was clearly enthused about the discovery of the fire retardant compound, the archeologist gave a concise overall summary of the people and events of M3K-946 without waxing poetic… much. The narrative was occasionally highlighted by explanatory comments from Sam and the peanut gallery of O'Neill, who's barbed remarks kept the meeting from being boring. Teal'c stuck with an 'indeed' and a couple of solemn nods.

Harry didn't say much himself, beyond confirming Daniel's statement about turning the Blight samples over to the Science department. For one thing, he'd never attended a formal 'debriefing' and wanted to observe a might before throwing his noodle in the pot. Second, he was really dreading the upcoming explanation O'Neill was going to demand and figured he'd be talking enough for three people then.

"…And barring complications, Dr. Freeman's department should have the chemical analysis of both the samples form the Ancient site and the village wall back by Friday. His preliminary exam seemed to indicate a strong similarity. If the compound is something worth pursuing after his results are in, then we'll see where to go from there. Bateleur Zimwae was quite open to the possibility of further trade… especially timber and foodstuffs," Daniel concluded.

The general nodded. "Fine, Dr. Jackson. Make sure my desk gets a copy of Dr. Freeman's report and your own recommendations based on what he finds out. If that's all People, we'll wrap this one up," Hammond said and started to push his chair back.

He was halted by O'Neill, who for once looked dead serious. "Wait, General…" the colonel said. "Potter has some questions he said he'd answer…"

"Oh?" Hammond asked.

"What's this about, Jack?" Daniel asked curiously.

"Our little romp out into the FireStorm. It included a couple of things that Genna didn't mention," O'Neill said.

"Like what?" asked Sam.

"Like the fact that we didn't just run and make it to the river. The fire was moving too fast and we ended up trapped. Potter here, created some sort of shield- held the fire off for almost 20 minutes. He started having trouble holding it, so he teleport- er, Apparated us to the bridge in Stephara."

"Well then, why didn't Genna mention any of that?" Daniel asked.

"That's the other thing. One minute the kid was skipping along, chattering on about telling her uncle what had happened and the next she was giving out that watered-down version without a blink."

There was a moment of silence, where Harry could almost see the gears clicking as the group thought about the implications. None of them looked happy.

"You explanation, Dr. Potter?" the general asked, as all the eyes in the room turned back to Harry. They did not look exactly friendly either.

Harry forced himself to look back without fidgeting. "Before I answer your questions… there's something I need you to sign." He said it quietly, while pulling out a thin roll of parchment. Harry laid it flat on the table and pushed it toward Daniel, who was sitting across from him.

"What's this?"

"My own… Nondisclosure Agreement, if you will return the courtesy." Harry gestured for the man to read it.

"Exactly what does this… agreement say, Dr. Jackson?" Hammond asked after a skeptical glance at Harry.

"It seems rather straightforward sir. Uh…

_I, hearby give my oath not to disclose or discus the following explanations and abilities with anyone not already present on this list or who gives proof of foreknowledge of the above topics without the express permission of Harry Potter or one granted his authority. (Remus Lupin or William Weasley)_

_Penalties to be decided by the gravity of the oath betrayal._

_Additions to the list can be discussed by all parties._

_As agreement with the aforementioned terms and proof of my oath, I hearby lay down my signature._

That's all."

There was a burst of overlapping questions… O'Neill's 'What penalties?' being the loudest before General Hammond overrode them all.

"Son, why do you need this and what good would it do? Our Nondisclosure Agreements are backed by the weight of our federal government. Yours is little more than a piece of paper."

"If it is _only_ a piece of paper then you have little to fear by signing it, sir," Harry answered. "Oaths are taken very seriously where I come from. The members of SG1 have proven trustworthy in holding _your_ secrets. This would be their word to handle _mine_ with the same care. As to why I need this… Well, it's mostly as a personal security net of sorts. The British Ministry is not my biggest fan and this would be my way of having a little insurance if they come down on me." Their expressions had softened slightly.

"Clarify 'penalties'…" O'Neill stated flatly.

"There are always penalties when one breaks an oath… a loss of trust if nothing else. I can't go into specifics unless you sign the agreement. However, the General was right to some extent. These penalties involve no jailtime and are non-lifethreatening."

"And if we still refuse to sign?" asked Daniel.

Harry sighed, "Then I'm afraid your questions won't all be answered to your satisfaction. I hope you know me well enough by now to understand that I wouldn't ask if I didn't think it was necessary. The truth is… I should have asked for something like this after the business in England."

Sam and O'Neill exchanged speaking glances, while Daniel and the General looked uncertain. Surprisingly, it was Teal'c who nodded and reached for the parchment. "I will sign your oath, Harry Potter. I have indeed come to know you."

Harry smiled at the big man. "Thank you, Teal'c."

The others didn't look happy about it but they all signed as well. Daniel was the last and he handed the signed document back to Harry when he finished.

The wizard laid his hand over the parchment and it glowed blue for a brief moment before he rolled it up and tucked it away.

"Just _what_ was that?" O'Neill demanded.

"That was the Binding of your Oath, Colonel," Harry said calmly.

"Right. Of course. All my papers glow after I sign them…" O'Neill said sarcastically. "That's how I tell which ones should be in the OutBox." The colonel's sarcasm seemed to break the tension holding the others.

Daniel laughed a bit. "Oh! Is _that_ how you sort through the mess on top of your desk, Jack?"

O'Neill determinedly ignored him. "Answers, Potter. Answers."

"Well, no one's asked any specific questions yet, now have they?" Harry said with a twinkle, glad that the tone had lightened.

The statement apparently opened the door to a barrage of questions from all sides. From the General's 'What type of device are these wands and how do they work?' to Sam's questions about spells and personal shields. Daniel had dozens of questions about Harry's time with Moros and the other people who used wands. Even Teal'c asked one about how Harry concealed his home. O'Neill looked straight at him and said one word- 'Genna.'

_Clearly it was going to be a long afternoon._

"Whoa, whoa!" Harry finally broke in, trying to sort out what to answer first. "One at a time." The noise level dropped and Harry cleared his throat. "Um… I'd better start with the simpler bits and work my way up to the more complicated things," he said with a glance at O'Neill. "Alright… You know about my sensitivity to energy fluctuations…" He gestured toward the Observation window and the Stargate beyond.

The group nodded, Sam with less certainty than the others.

"Well, that's the first part of you answer- the ability to sense energy patterns. Energy comes from many different sources, of course- solar radiation from the sun, geothermal from the earth, fast moving water and wind, electrical storms, and from all living things… They're all linked together in a sort of enormous interconnected EnergyWeb. The second part of your answer comes from the logical question a person would ask if they could sense all that energy moving around them…?" Harry looked at Daniel, figuring he'd be the first to get it.

"You mean… -Can I do something with it?-" the archeologist said, sounding rather gobsmacked at the very idea.

"Are you suggesting you can control this… this energy?" the general demanded skeptically.

"No way," put in O'Neill.

"That's impossible," Sam declared.

Harry quickly shook his head. "No, no, no… That'd be like a grain of sand trying to control the ocean, sir. I'd be squashed flat. No individual could ever hope to wield something of such size and complexity. From what Moros suggested, even an Ascended Being can only control a tiny fraction of a world's EnergyWeb." There was a distinct sigh of relief from the group around the table. Daniel even nodded.

"However…" Harry had to grin when they all stiffened. "Some humans can… uh, 'touch' I suppose is the word… the EnergyWeb long enough to uh… 'borrow' small pieces."

There was a chorus of Whats? and Hows?

"What do you mean by 'borrow', son?" asked General Hammond, struggling to act as if he even partly believed this.

"Well, Major Carter could probably explain it better than I can, but essentially energy cannot be destroyed. You can use it to power something, channel it where you want it to go or even change it to a different form, but it'll eventually merge back into the Web," Harry answered.

The General glanced at Sam, who seemed torn but fascinated. "It's called the Conservation of Energy Principle, sir. Within a closed system, energy is converted from form to form but never created or destroyed." She turned to Harry. "I'm not sure I understand… How is it possible to uh… touch this… EnergyWeb?"

"It's possible because all living things are already linked with the world's energy by virtue of being alive. We each have a 'core' of personal energy, which maintains us. Living things are constantly 'borrowing' energy from the Web. Burning the food we eat is the main source of personal energy but there are others… think of how good it can feel to be out in the sunshine or to take a hot bath or shower… Basically, it's taking a natural process a few steps further into a conscious act," Harry explained.

"Just how 'small' of a piece are we talking about, son and what all can you so with it?" asked Hammond.

"Relatively speaking, it's just a spark. The actual size is normally described in terms of the strength of the caster. Someone with a larger, healthy core is able to borrow more energy at a time than someone with a smaller or weaker core… What you can do with the energy largely depends upon your control and focus, since most spells are dependent on visualization and intent," Harry said. He could see by their blank expressions that they hadn't grasped his point. _Time for a demonstration then…_

"Alright… I'm young and healthy and usually described as having a strong core. It is possible to power a spell using only one's personal energy. There are even several tests to give a number value to your core strength by seeing how long and well you can hold an easy spell. Something such as a light spell, for example."

Harry gave a flick of his fingers and a small globe of light, about the size and brightness of a 60 watt bulb, appeared next to his hand. Sam Carter, who was sitting next to him, jumped a bit and the rest stared.

"Well, if we ever need a nightlight on a mission Potter, the job's obviously got your name on it," drawled O'Neill.

"I'll look forward to that, Colonel."

"So, why don't you use your… personal energy for everything?" Sam asked. "Although I think I can guess… It depletes your reserves, doesn't it?"

Harry nodded. "It can be dangerous. Not so much with the small stuff, but the more complicated spells can drain you to the point of blackouts, permanent physical damage or even death." He paused and gestured to the floating light. "The advantages of tapping into the EnergyWeb are first off, far more power is available for each individual spell…" The intensity of the light increased to where it was hard to look at it without spots developing in front of the eyes. "Secondly, you don't have the danger of 'draining your battery' unless it's absolutely necessary."

"Are there disadvantages…?" asked Daniel curiously.

"Oh yes, for one thing there is always the possibility of taking too much. That's called 'overcharging'. The results aren't pleasant, we are talking about raw energy here." The group winced. "Usually that only happens because of either undertraining and sheer desperation or overconfidence and a swelled head without the proper control. The second problem is the most common and should be popping up fairly soon."

Harry glanced to the side as the lamp on the desk behind him went out… A few seconds later the computer in the corner winked off, followed by some of the overhead lights flickering. Harry dispersed the globe and the electronics began to settle down. The computer switched back on. "You can see what I mean about borrowing energy. Electronics are particularly vulnerable. It's the reason we don't own many or else keep them under heavy dampening wards."

"What about people? Isn't this 'energy borrowing' dangerous to the people around… You said living things have their own energy…" General Hammond said in concern.

"Oddly, no. It doesn't seem to… Because living things are actively drawing in minute amounts of energy all the time, we form sort of miniature energy wells. Drawing from the overall EnergyWeb doesn't seem to affect them, at least not on the scale I'm talking about."

"Thought you said you were gonna hit the simpler bits first, Potter," O'Neill said. "What's this EnergyWeb thing got to do with wands and shields and stuff?"

"It's the source of all those things, Colonel," Harry said. "Shields in particular are Web Energy channeled and transformed directly into a solid barrier. There are several different kinds. The one I used against the FireStorm is normally used to protect against explosions because of its density. The dilemma we found ourselves in was because holding the shield strong enough to keep the flames out meant I couldn't connect very well with the outside EnergyWeb, so all that left was some weak geothermal energy and my core."

"Jack said you held that thing for almost 20 minutes, Harry. That's not bad considering you said it was only intended for a short-term event like an explosion…" Daniel chided.

"So what about wands?" asked O'Neill. "Where do they fit into this?"

"Well, Wands aren't precisely a device as you would consider them. The wood protects a highly conductive material and is made in a shape which is easy to use. A more accurate term would be a focus or a conduit. They work along similar lines to the Gou'ald hand devices. From what I've read, the hand device uses the energy stored naturally in the naquadra in their blood to activate. Wands use a person's core energy for activation and then channels small, tightly controlled bits of WebEnergy for spellwork." Hammond and O'Neill looked rather disturbed at this. _Maybe I shouldn't nave used the Gou'ald example, _Harry mused.

"Sounds different than your way…" Daniel suggested mildly.

"Yeah… a different method with similar results," Harry said.

"What's the difference?" asked O'Neill.

"It allows wizards with little to no Energy-Senses to use the EnergyWeb," replied Harry.

"W-Wizards?!"

"It's what we call ourselves in Europe," Harry said calmly, while the group sputtered. "I believe in America we're known as Mages or Magisters… or Shaman in the native cultures…"

"As in Wands and _Wizards_ and _MAGIC_?"

"In layman's terms…"

"So what? You're gonna make a rabbit come out of a hat or something?" laughed O'Neill.

"Why would you want a rabbit in a hat?" asked Harry in confusion. "Wouldn't it chew up the hat and leave pellets everywhere?"

They didn't seem to have an answer for that. Most of their brains appeared stuck back on the word magic.

"Do you use a wand, Harry Potter?" asked Teal'c, who didn't seem phased at all.

"I… no. Not so much anymore."

"Why not?"

"After Moros trained me to use my Energy-Senses and to tap into the Web directly… I found Wandwork rather… limiting. I keep it mostly for sentimental reasons now." He hesitated and then reached down to his boot, where he pulled out a slightly battered wand of holly.

"You can examine it, if you like."

Harry handed it to Sam, who took it gingerly. She slid her hands up and down, looking for buttons or switches.

"So Moros trained you?" Daniel asked.

"Yes… He said his people, the Alterrans, had developed… uh, gifts… only near the end of their evolution, but they were usually quite… uh, specialized was the word he used."

"What's he mean by that?"

"Alterran gifts seemed to have been limited to single areas like healing, clairvoyance, telekinetics or mind manipulation. He said there is a deep connection between the mind and the energy which drives the body. Within certain evolutionary paths, the instincts begin to use this connection when the individual is in need… then on a more conscious level. Eventually traits such as greater healing, enhanced senses like eyesight or hearing begin to develop, as well as longer life expectancy. Our second evolutionary gifts started much earlier in our development and they seem to have much broader and more general applications than the Alterrans. Moros theorized it was because our abilities appeared at a time when survival was still a big part of daily life. The abilities adapted to fit the need."

"Of course! Fascinating! So did the…?" Daniel's excited babble was interrupted by O'Neill.

"Speaking of mind manipulation… Let's backup to my original question: What exactly did you do to Genna, Potter?" he asked bluntly. "I know you did something."

Harry found his eyes dropping since he knew this was a sticky topic no matter what he said. Plus the fact that hazing a child's mind was nowhere near his finest hour, even if he still felt it had been necessary.

"Spells that deal with the mind have always been something of a gray-area ethically," he said. "Most are incredibly complex and only a few people take the time to study them. However, one branch… the Secrecy Spells… are taught to all school children as soon as we pass our mid-level OWL exams. The two most important Secrecy spells are Obliviation and what's called Smudging or Hazing. If you're good at them, students are then invited to more advanced training and often go on to make a career out of it. I understand that the British Ministry has over 4 dozen squads of professional Obliviators."

"I'm almost afraid to ask… but what are Obliviation and Hazing?" the General inquired.

Harry looked directly at Hammond. "They both produce a sort of selective memory loss. Something rather essential for a group trying to remain secret for a thousand years."

There were several indignant "Whats?!

"So, you did this Oblivion thing to Genna?" stated O'Neill, wrinkling his nose like he'd smelled something foul.

"A hazing, yes. Obliviates are too harsh for a child's developing mind. Hazing clouds a memory and makes it more dreamlike. The mind naturally skips over them and goes for the more concrete memories."

Looking appalled Sam asked, "What about Obliviate?"

"It's a solid block over a memory. Only the caster can remove one without damaging the recipient's mind."

"Which begs the question- Have you ever done it to us?" Daniel asked, clearly not afraid to ask the difficult ones.

Harry decided on part of the truth, since Patrick Anderson and the airport were a bigger kettle of fish than he wanted to get into right now.

"Yes…" he said, in spite of the indrawn breaths. "I Obliviated Daniel the first time we met in Honduras."

"You really are a piece of work Potter," O'Neill growled.

Harry ignored him and turned to Daniel Jackson, who seemed to be frantically searching his memory and coming up empty. "I will remove the block if you wish… since I cast it, there shouldn't be any problems," Harry offered. Daniel looked unsure whether he wanted Harry anywhere near him. "Well, think about it and let me know."

"I think I've talked enough for now…" He pushed his chair back and stood up.

"Before you judge me, I'd like to say that I didn't know Dr. Jackson very well at this point and that I could have blocked Colonel O'Neill's memory nearly as easily as Genna's, in which case we wouldn't be having this conversation…"

Harry held up a hand when the General looked like he was going to interrupt. " Also, you need to ask yourselves some comparative questions. If the SGC's secret were threatened… Would you talk of restraining orders and jailtime? Would you be secretly relieved if the man was struck down by a car before he could make good on his threats?" Harry looked at O'Neill, who glared but looked away. "Would you lie and plant misleading evidence as a distraction from the real story…?" He glanced at the General and Daniel and then at Sam. "Or ruin a good man's reputation to discredit his words…? If a government organization had the capability of doing memory modifications, do you honestly think they'd hesitate for even a second…?" The question hung in the air.

"I'll leave you to discuss all this…" He dug into his shirt pocket and tossed four creditcard-shaped items on the table, where they slid apart slightly. "I had these made up before we left England. They should be good internationally. I'll have another made up for you, General Hammond.

Please take your oath seriously… Attempts to talk about it with unauthorized people will result in a sudden attack of laryngitis and that's just for openers. Major Carter, please return my wand when you're finished with it.

…I'll be in my room if you have further questions."

* * *

The General watched Potter leave the room before tapping his radio. He quietly asked security to keep a discreet eye on the man and to inform him immediately if he tried to leave the base.

Jack let out a 'humph' and deflated a bit. "The Kid takes all the fun outta being pissed at him when he brings up stuff like that."

"Harry Potter has some legitimate points," Teal'c remarked. His usual, calm unruffled self.

"You don't seem too chuffed," Jack said.

"I have seen the Gou'ald crush a man's mind for discovering their secrets, O'Neill."

"Well, when you put it like that…" He glanced at Daniel, who was looking rather introspective. "You honestly can't remember Honduras?"

"What?! No, I can remember it just fine, more's the pity. Although… now that I think about it, there's this bit in the jungle that's quite fuzzy… I just assumed it was because I got shot." Daniel said.

"What do you suppose the cards are?" Carter asked, before reaching for the pile. "Huh… They've got our names on them," she said and passed them out.

Jack examined his… It was dark blue with animated exploding fireworks. Across the top in gold was printed- 'Muggle-In-the-Know Passcard', in the middle was his name and at the bottom was- Sponsor: Harry Potter.

"What the hell's a Muggle?" Jack muttered.

"Read the back, sir," Carter said, staring at her own card.

"Standard Level 1 Clearance Passcard. Possession signifies that the non-magical being bearing this card has been briefed on the basics of the Magical World. As such, they are exempt from Standard Obliviation Procedures under Article 42, sec. 5 of the Muggle/Magical Relations Act unless written permission is gained from the sponsor. The Muggles-In-the-Know may also be called upon as a witness during any Auror follow-up investigations. Signed, Trenton Appleby, Head DMLE, England" Jack's voice trailed away.

"He said he'd had these made up before we left…" Daniel said quietly.

"So he must have intended to tell us at some point," concluded Carter.

There was silence for a moment.

"I think the major issue here, People, is whether we believe Dr. Potter's explanation or not," General Hammond finally said.

"It's difficult _not_ to believe a man who brings his own floating lightbulb to Show and Tell, sir," drawled Jack.

Hammond ignored him, as usual, and looked instead toward Carter.

"I'm not sure what to say sir," she said. "It was a bit like watching someone calmly presenting a theorem that's going to totally rewrite the physics textbooks and half of the biologic ones… If Harry'd just announced this business of wizards and magic out of hand, I'm sure I would have dismissed it immediately. Instead, he calls magic a layman's term, matter-of-factly talks of direct mental energy manipulation and casually throws in an explanation of the Ancients' powers to boot.

Parts of his EnergyWeb phenomenon fit neatly with Feynman's 1961 lecture concerning how the quantity of energy doesn't change in the manifold of changes in nature and parts sound more like something out of a child's fairytale. However, I'm not sure we can discount even the fantasical elements of what he said, given his demonstration and some of the other things we've seen him do." She paused. "I suppose we've bumped into stranger things."

Hammond nodded and turned to Daniel. "Dr. Jackson?"

"Well, it certainly explains a few things… As for magic… historically speaking, you'd be hard pressed to find a single Earth culture, which doesn't have stories and myths about magical powers and happenings. Wands and Staffs are commonly depicted as the devices used to direct it. Such stories don't begin to disappear until Christianity starts spreading its influence. After events like the witch burnings and the Inquisition, it makes perfect sense that such a culture (if it exists) would go underground and stay hidden."

"Teal'c…?"

"I am rather inclined to believe him, General Hammond," the big man said solemnly. "His seriousness about the oath of secrecy was especially compelling. I also have witnessed him handling this energy in battle to great effect. I think we should be greatly relieved that he has chosen to ally himself with us."

Hammond considered that before finally turning to Jack. _Saving the best for last obviously…_

"And you, Colonel?"

"It still creeps me out that he can mess with our heads sir… but seeing as how Daniel doesn't seem anymore brain-damaged than normal… (There was an indignant 'Hey!' in the background from Daniel.) I guess we'll have to let it slide. It seems to me that even if Daniel lets Potter remove the block… Well, I somehow doubt he'll be able to tell us much more than we already know. As much as it burns me to say it, the Kid was probably right about me not being able to stop him from doing this memory thing, if he'd been so inclined…" Jack tapped the card on the table a couple of times. "I think these cards are his way of saying that it's not something we'll need to worry about in the future." He paused before he went on. "Potter saved our necks out there. From the fire, I mean… Given what he can apparently do… He could have easily shielded only himself… or teleported away without us… but he didn't. Instead, he stayed and then did a risky maneuver to get all of us to safety. Reservations about his abilities aside, that's exactly the kind of guy I want on my team, sir."

Hammond leaned back in his chair. "I'll admit I'm still skeptical, even with Dr. Potter's demonstration here… but I'll also agree that the young man brings some heavy-duty qualifications to the program even without these… other abilities. I would feel more comfortable if he'd allow Major Carter to run a few tests, maybe get a better feel for what he's capable of, alright?"

"I can ask, sir," Carter said.

"Very well. If you're all in agreement, Dr. Potter will remain on active status. This oath of his allows for discussion amongst ourselves, so I'd appreciate it if you'd all try to learn what you can and report back."

"I'm not so sure Harry's going to want to 'chat' with any of us right now, sir," Daniel said ruefully.

"I think a little reassurance about his placement on the team might go a long way toward clearing the air between all of you, Dr. Jackson."

"Yes, sir."

"If that's everything, let's all get on with what we were supposed to be doing this afternoon. Dismissed." The General rose and went back to his office.

Jack slapped the tabletop. "Okay campers. You heard the General. Let's all get cleaned up and meet outside Potter's room. We'll kidnap him and go out for a late lunch/early dinner, alright?"

"Sure, Jack."

"Yes, sir."

"Indeed. Food would be most welcome."

They all walked toward the doors leading to the hallway and the elevators.

"So… do you think Potter could catch Kinsey at his next press-conference and zap him down to his underwear or something? Maybe a I _**heart**_ Nazis T-shirt?" Jack asked the others.

Three stern looks flashed his way and his protest echoed down the hall. "What?! It's a legitimate question!"

* * *

_**Harry's Room**_

Harry returned to his room. Fortunately, Dobby hadn't redecorated it in Grade B movie props again. _Actually it looks quite cozy,_ he thought, as he removed his jacket and tossed it on the foot of the bed.

The bookshelf idea, which he'd mentioned to Dobby before he'd left, had been realized. Three handsome floor-to-ceiling bookshelves had been installed along the back wall of the room. The trunkloads of books were now neatly aligned on their shelves and his scattered reams of translation notes were gathered in a tidy pile on the table that Harry'd been using as a desk. In the corner, next to the shelves, was a soft, squishy armchair. Just behind the chair was a tall, reading lamp. It looked like the perfect place to curl up with a good book.

With a pleased sigh, Harry sank onto the armchair. _I'll have to seriously thank Dobby for this,_ he mused.

Troubled thoughts about his revelations at the debriefing circled through his head. Given the team's mixed reactions, he was rather uncertain about whether he'd even be staying… The whole idea of packing… _Now there's a depressing thought!_ …was making Harry feel even lower, when Dobby popped in with something that raised his spirits immensely.

Hedwig.

Harry suddenly realized how much he'd missed her comforting presence and held out his arm. The owl immediately flew over, making happy little whiffling noises. Harry patted her head with praises for her good nature and beauty that surpassed all other owls. Hedwig seemed extremely pleased to see him and gave him an affectionate head butt to let him know how she felt. Harry smiled and patted her again.

"Your Lady Owl is being ready to bes with yous, Harry Potter sir. She is being most impatient," squeaked the elf. Dobby seemed nearly hysterically happy to see Harry, but also quite upset that he hadn't been there when Harry'd arrived.

"I'm very glad to see both of you, Dobby. Thank you for retrieving Hedwig for me," Harry reassured the house-elf and strictly forbid him from setting mousetraps on his ears as punishment. "Why don't you _not__clean_ the Loo for a couple of days, Dobby?" he added when the elf looked downcast. Dobby's mouth fell open and he seemed torn between horror at the idea of _not__cleaning_ and the gratification that Harry had actually suggested a punishment. Finally, the elf nodded solemnly, hugged Harry's knees and declared Harry to be the 'bestest and wisest of wizards' before popping off again.

Harry was left alone with his owl. He transfigured one of the empty book trunks in to perch for her. (It took several tries to find a suitable perch for such a wonderful bird.) Apparently satisfied, Hedwig took up residence and settled down for a nice nap.

Approximately five minutes later, SG1 barged in, intent on what O'Neill called 'the Great Potter-napping'.

As far as kidnapping adventures went, it was the most enjoyable one Harry had ever participated in… They went for Chinese takeout and ended up piling in at Daniel's flat.

Most surprising of all, the team didn't broach the subject of his abilities at all until the very end of the evening. Instead, the talk ranged from teaching Teal'c the 'joys' of eating with chopsticks to Sam's latest techno-gadget to Daniel and O'Neill's spirited debate about the dramatic value of the Simpson's. Harry finally began to relax when the anticipated interrogation didn't materialize. (He even joined in on the Simpson's debate.)

They munched their way through the last of the Sesame Chicken and the Mongolian Beef when O'Neill announced he had another good fishing trip planned. (Something about getting tickets while they're hot.) Sam and Daniel immediately declined and Teal'c didn't look too thrilled either. Harry bewilderedly asked what the problem with fishing was… After that, there was a lot of relieved laughter and O'Neill looked like Christmas had come early. Harry somehow found himself volunteered.

Daniel, himself, had an amazing number of archeological treasures around his flat. Including several Egyptian styled pieces, which turned out to be from Daniel's time on Abydos. He and Harry had an in-depth anthropological discussion comparing ancient cultural roots with offworld beliefs and lifestyles. The archeologist seemed have a marvelous time showing off his best pieces to a fellow enthusiast.

By the time O'Neill reined them in and brought up 'Potter's bag of tricks' (as he called it), they were all relaxed and Harry didn't mind the stream of gentle questions.

Daniel, of course, had more of a flood about wizarding society and history. Harry attempted to give a general overview but ended up simply promising to loan the eager man a few magical history books he'd definitely find interesting.

Sam listened, but she was much more interested in the 'how and why' than the 'who, when and where'. Harry's explanations were mostly based on his own experiences and Moros' lectures on core energy theory. He certainly didn't consider himself any sort of expert. What little he knew about mathemagical Arithmancy wouldn't have filled a teacup, in fact. His amateur explanations didn't seem to satisfy her need for a logical and logistical layout for even basic spellwork. (Harry wistfully wished that Hermione were here.) He eventually promised her a book on Spellcrafting Arithmancy and one on magical theory written by real experts. Sam also weaseled out a promise to do some demonstrations somewhere she could take some readings. (Harry secretly had his doubts about whether her instruments would do much good around magic, but he agreed to let her try.)

Teal'c and O'Neill were more interested in exactly what he could do… Everyone wanted to watch the upcoming demonstrations. Harry warned them that it would have to be somewhere secure and away from prying eyes.

"And I'm not some sort of performing monkey, you know," he protested.

"Oh, I don't know…" O'Neill drawled, ruffling Harry's hair as he came back with a beer clipped from his stash in Daniel's fridge. "There's a slight resemblance…"

"Ha, ha. Very funny."

The night ended in laughter as O'Neill and then the rest kept coming up with more and more outrageous suggestions for pranks to play on some bloke named Kinsey. Most of them wouldn't be possible given the Statute of Secrecy, although Harry could think of several subtler variations that might work.

_I'll have to suggest some when we're not loopy,_ he thought. He figured that anyone that his team detested so thoroughly was probably due for a little humiliation.

Somewhere, amidst all the laughter and camaraderie, a tightly wound knot of tension, something which Harry had carried around with him for a very long time… eased off and melted away…

* * *

Life seemed to have settled back into a comfortable routine again…

Harry and O'Neill had orders from Dr. Fraiser to take it easy until their minor burns healed and the team had been bumped from the mission schedule for a few days. The translations with Daniel were proceeding, although they hadn't run across anything mindblowing yet. The demonstrations for Sam, on the other hand, weren't going well at all and she kept rescheduling. (Any electronic equipment she brought in ceased to function as soon as Harry started. They'd tried a dampening field over the instruments, which had kept them working but then they couldn't read anything outside the field.) Harry only hoped she wouldn't pull any of her hair out over it, she was _that_ frustrated. O'Neill had been courting death with his wisecracking comments the last time. It had been funny and even Teal'c had looked like he was secretly laughing. Fortunately, Sam had had a brainstorm and gone rushing out. They were rescheduled for tomorrow.

The extensive training courses for Harry's batch of newbies was finally completed except for the weekly required one hour on the range improving marksmanship and the four hours at the gym for exercise or sparring. Harry hadn't seen Lieutenants Brant and Gonzalez since before he'd left for Stephara. Sergeant 'Sparks' Duncan tried to fill him in on their new assignments.

"…So Brant got tagged for SG16 and Gonzalez's a shoe-in for Martin's spot on SG11. Seems they needed a demolitions expert there. She said it would do to start with.

I've been added to Dixon's team, since Bosworth asked to be reassigned to an active Search and Rescue unit. Dixon's having both of us come on the next mission… that way I can 'learn the ropes' so to speak. The Colonel's OK. Said he could use a good science geek who also knew one end of a P90 from another," Duncan laughed good-naturedly, as he swung a lightning fast feint at Harry's face and then an equally fast left at his ribs.

"That's great, Spark. Congratulations!" Harry said breathlessly. He dodged the first blow and deflected the second toward his shoulder. It still rocked him sideways a tad, so he used the momentum to swing his own left forward into another block.

The big man had generously offered to spar with Harry and give him some pointers on hand-to-hand fighting. Since Harry knew he could use all the help he could get, he'd eagerly agreed. Of course, after the impressive collection of bumps and bruises Harry'd gathered during their first few sessions, he wasn't quite so eager… but he'd doggedly continued.

The two of them had been meeting several times a week for a while now. Harry'd had a faint hope that he was improving, mostly because his assortment of bruises seemed smaller than when they'd started. The hope faded again as a missed blow extended him too far and Duncan easily flipped him on his ass. Harry lay there on the floor mat, getting his breath back.

"You know," he said after a moment, "These mats aren't too bad… Maybe I'll stay here for a while."

Duncan laughed and reached down to give him a hand up. "You're comin' along Doc. You just keep doing those drills I gave you and we'll start seein' some improvements soon. Oh! …and I wanna show you a couple moves tomorrow that'll take more advantage of your speed and reflexes." He rubbed his lower ribcage where Harry had managed to land a blow earlier. And then slapped Harry on the arm in a friendly way. "You're damn fast Doc, when you wanna be."

Harry cautiously stretched out the sore spots including the now smarting arm. "I'm not sure it does all that much good, Spark."

Personally, Harry was beginning to think he should just stick with magically enhanced fighting. He wasn't very good at this regular way. Harry thought he could collect just as many contusions with more effect by running into a brickwall.

"Eighty times out of a hundred it's brains that win in a fight Doc… and you've got plenty of those."

"Oh- so it's only the other twenty times I'll be pounded into the pavement. Great…" Harry said.

"Aww… Don't be like that Doc." Duncan picked up his towel from the bench along the wall and patted his damp neck and face before slinging it over his shoulder. "You've-"

He was interrupted by the overhead PA system. _**This is General Hammond with an announcement. The SGC will be hosting several… guests in the upcoming weeks. The president has authorized and initiated a 'Documentary Project'.**_ One could almost see the quotation marks as well as hear the annoyance in Hammond's voice. _**We've been ordered to cooperate in every way possible, so long as it doesn't interfere with current operational security. I know you'll all do your best to follow orders and bring this project to a speedy conclusion. I'll make another announcement when they arrive. That is all."**_

"I wonder what that's about?" Duncan said.

"Don't know. He sure doesn't sound happy about it though," Harry answered.

"No, he doesn't. Guess we'll find out soon enough. Well, I'm off Doc. I'll see ya tomorrow, right?"

"Sure, Spark."

The Sergeant gave him a wave and headed for the locker-room. Harry took his time and thoroughly stretched out his muscles before going over to the bench for his stuff. He grabbed his water-bottle for a long pull. He swept up his towel and turned to head out, but pulled up short.

Lieutenant Dirk and two Marine playmates were blocking the doorway. One cracked his knuckles and Harry had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes, in spite of the fact that they were staring at him like hunting dogs on the scent of a lame fox.

"Lieutenant Dirk… Gentlemen…" Harry said, nodding politely. "Nice time for a workout."

Dirk's sneer grew more pronounced. "Potter. I heard you were looking for someone to spar with… We thought we'd help you out."

"That's very generous of you blokes… volunteering your time like that, but I'll have to decline your offer. I need to get back to work now," Harry commented, standing loosely at the edge of the mats… holding only a hand towel and his water-bottle.

"Oh… We insist. You might not be around later, Potter."

The Marines were edging to either side, flanking Harry now. He casually eyed the large rack of free weights to his left and backed up a couple of steps so that he wasn't in line with it while he kept his attention on the three men.

"I'm not going anywhere, Dirk," Harry said calmly. He dropped the towel, so that he was only holding it by the corner and added a heavy-duty sticking charm to it. At the same time he started increasing the weight of the half-empty water-bottle in his other hand.

"Three to one odds say differently, Potter," Dirk snarled and then all hell broke loose.


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: Okay, here she is... bright and shiny. This is a little shorter than I intended but I wanted to post and I liked this ending.

Warning: There are a few conversations from the transcript of Heroes in this one.

_**Chapter 21: Small Conversations**_

* * *

_**SGC: Level 25 **_

There was a horrendous, echoing crash… The sound reverberated down the concrete and metal hallways all the way to the elevators.

"What the hell?!"

Jack and Teal'c, who'd been waiting at the elevator doors, shot alarmed looks at each other before taking off down the hall toward the gym and locker-rooms. They were only a few steps ahead of the two security airmen assigned to the floor.

Heads were popping out of doorways as they passed. Even a few half-dressed servicemen emerged from the locker-room itself, trying to see what the commotion was all about.

The gym was in shambles… Benches were overturned… Free weights had been scattered everywhere… The large weight rack that normally contained them was lying flat, on top of a pair of unmoving legs. A second body was groaning from behind it, covered by a couple of dumbbells. There was a third guy tangled up in an overturned bench. He was tugging at a towel on his face and cursing up a blue streak. Standing in the middle of the chaos, sporting a bad cut over his right eye and a fat lip, was Harry Potter…

"What's going on in here?" Jack demanded in a loud voice.

The cursing died away and the Marine with the towel cringed, although strangely he didn't remove it. There was no answer from the other two. Potter turned and smiled rather lopsidedly around his swollen lip.

"Hey, Colonel… Glad you're here." He gestured at the fallen equipment. "I'm afraid we've had a bit of a sparring... uh, accident and could use your assistance."

"Sparring accident?" Jack said sternly. "Is that what they're calling it these days?"

Potter shrugged and then winced slightly.

"Are you injured, Harry Potter?" Teal'c asked.

"I'll be fine, Teal'c…" the kid jerked his head toward the weight rack. "Those two might need to see Dr. Fraiser, though."

The big man nodded and went to help the two airmen in the process of lifting the weight rack back up into its corner. The groaning Marine under the dumbbells had clearly broken his leg and possibly other things… the other one, a lieutenant by the look of him, was still out cold.

Jack glanced at Potter. "What happened?"

The kid stopped himself from shrugging again, "Some people take their sparring rather seriously," was all he said.

"Three on one, seriously?" asked Jack, his tone hardening.

The cut over Potter's eye was leaking and he absently rubbed the red trickle away before he answered. "Territorial marking against interlopers, I think."

Jack felt his lip curl. "That's not their call to make… They're newbies here themselves. You've passed every test we've pointed you at, most with flying colors, Potter. SGC soldiers certainly shouldn't be taking such prejudicial malarkey out on a fellow member of this base… not to mention a legitimate part of SG1. That's totally out of line…"

Potter's eyes came back up and his posture straightened. Jack got the feeling that he'd just passed a test of his own.

They both glanced up as the med team came rushing in, led by Fraiser. She quickly set about checking the injuries on the fallen Marines.

"Unfortunately Colonel," Potter said. "That sort of opinion, once established, is harder to root out than flaxweed." His voice lowered. "You might want to take a close look at Lieutenant Dirk… There've been a couple of… incidents."

"You wanna be a bit more specific?" Jack said.

"Not really. Just… ask some of the non-military personnel he's been assigned with… I-I don't want to point fingers unnecessarily."

"Somehow I doubt it's unnecessary, kid," Jack remarked dryly. "What's with him?" he asked, pointing at the towel-guy, who was still struggling to get out of the bench.

"I believe he's stuck."

"I can see that. I meant the towel."

"So did I," Potter smirked. "Speaking of which, I suppose someone should help him up out of there." Jack certainly didn't see many volunteers.

"Right." Potter sighed in a put upon manner and then walked over to the towel-covered Marine. He quietly muttered something in Latin before he snatched the cloth off the man's head and then offered him a hand up.

The Marine, Henderson… Jack thought his name was, stared at Potter with the strangest expression. Then he hesitantly accepted the offered assistance and clamored to his feet.

Jack cleared his throat audibly as Henderson finished brushing himself off and the soldier immediately sprang to attention. Jack shot the corporal a sharp glance to warn him how _not_ off the hook he was and then he ignored him briefly as Fraiser came bustling up to Potter.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…" she clucked. "That's going to need a few stitches, Dr. Potter." Fraiser reached to brush aside the kid's bangs.

Potter flinched a bit but allowed it. "I'm fine, ma'am."

"Of course you are, now where else did they get you?" the doctor said calmly.

Potter started to shrug but stopped himself.

Jack grinned in sympathy but helpfully said. "I'd check his left side, Doc… He keeps favoring it."

Potter shot him a glare that shouted 'Traitor' as Fraiser firmly took his arm to escort him to the Infirmary.

"I'll be sending a security detail down for Dirk and Wesley, Doc. At least until we get this thing sorted out," Jack called after them.

"So long as they don't get in my people's way, Colonel," Fraiser answered, as she and Potter left, following the gurneys of the two Marines.

Jack turned back to Henderson to find the man's eyes following Potter's retreating back with a confused expression. The soldier's face blanked out when he realized Jack was looking at him and his posture became even more rigid.

"I expect you have some sort of explanation for this, Henderson…" Jack growled. "And remember, there _is_ a security camera in this room." Teal'c came up and stood impassively at his side. "Let's start with your breakfast Wheaties and work our way up to recent events, shall we?"

If possible, the man's stance went even stiffer. He stared forward, somewhere over Jack's shoulder and said, "SIR. YES, SIR!"

* * *

_**SGC: Level 19**_

"Are you sure you're feeling up to this, Harry?" asked Sam Carter with a critical look at him. "We could postpone for a couple of days…" She seemed torn between eagerness at the possibility of at last successfully monitoring Harry's abilities and uncertainty over whether she should call a halt. They'd attempted two previous go-rounds, where Harry'd run through some simple charms and defensive spells. Unfortunately, her electronics refused to function simultaneously with Harry's demonstrations. However, Sam had been undeterred. She'd been working on an idea to fix the problem ever since.

Regardless of whether her idea worked, Harry had decided he should take the opportunity to test his shields against some Goa'uld weapons. Teal'c had agreed to bring a Zat'nik'tel and a Staff Weapon to this demonstration. As usual, O'Neill and Daniel had tagged along for the show.

"No problems, Sam," Harry said. "It was only a few bumps and bruises."

Her glance turned skeptical.

"Dr. Fraiser and Healer Anne released me, didn't they?" Harry said in self-defense. (Truthfully the medicos had been reluctant, but hadn't found anything to warrant keeping him in the Infirmary.)

"Well, if you're sure…" Sam said, still a bit doubtful.

"I'm fine. Why doesn't anyone believe me when I tell them that?" Harry wondered as the team walked down the hallway.

"Experience. We know a couple of people who use that phrase all the time…." Daniel said with a sidelong glance at O'Neill and Teal'c, who were following along behind him.

"Hey! It's perfectly acceptable code-speak for 'I'll survive' and/or 'It's not serious enough to need a trip to Fraiser's Needle Factory'," explained O'Neill.

Sam laughed, "I'll have to share that one with her, sir."

"Just which code-book is that from Jack?" Daniel asked. "Marvel or Acme?"

"Acme, of course. The coyote always lives to fight again another day… Kinda like you Daniel, actually…"

The archeologist rolled his eyes just as the five of them reached Sam's secure demonstration room. They filed inside and she sealed the door. The large room was mostly empty, except for some electronic gadgetry packed into one corner and four crystalline pieces set up on stands along the walls to the right and left.

"So's this going to work this time, Carter? Or should we just have the Kid here, do his thing without you?" O'Neill asked.

"No sir… I mean, I think I've gotten this figured out. Simply put. Harry's abilities have a vacuum effect on any localized energies… most especially electronics and any previous attempts to separate such devices from the drain totally isolate them from the ability as well."

"Yeah… We know that already," griped O'Neill.

"I'm getting there, sir," she said patiently. "Harry's already demonstrated an affinity for Ancient technology… and I found out his wrist unit has a crystalline power source, which doesn't seem to be affected like out Earth-based electronics… So I reverse engineered some crystal powered receivers for my equipment. They're placed around the room as you can see. I'm hoping that if Harry can place his dampening ward to protect the electronics in the corner here, the receivers will transmit whatever they pick up from outside his field back to my laptop, where I can analyze it later," Sam explained.

O'Neill, who looked like that was _much_ more than he ever wanted to know, said pointedly, "But will it work?"

Sam valiantly restrained herself from giving a long, detailed explanation of exactly how and why it would work and simply said, "Yes."

O'Neill nodded in acceptance and turned to Harry. "How do you want to set this up, Potter?" he asked with a pat on his P90.

The man had insisted that they should also test out the gun's firepower on Harry's shield. Although Harry had flat out told him that the bullets wouldn't penetrate.

"Better safe than sorry, Kid," the Colonel'd said as he'd ducked into the armory earlier. "I'd like to know if you'll be protected from any stray 'friendly fire'."

Harry'd thanked the man for his concern but had to tell him that unfortunately, shields only worked if a wizard saw something coming and got them up in time.

"If someone's aiming at my blindside, I'm just as vulnerable as anyone else, sir," Harry said wryly.

"Gotcha. But still… Seeing's believin' and I wanna _see_ what you can do against one of these…" the colonel'd said.

Presently, Harry finished setting the dampening field over Sam's electronic corner before answering O'Neill. "Well, first off, let's run a few smaller tests for Sam's equipment." He walked to the far end of the room and stood between the crystal receivers. "Tell me if you're getting anything, Sam…" Harry told her and cast a bluebell flame charm at a chair along the far wall. (Hermione's favorite warming charm- it created light and heat without the flames consuming the object.)

Sam excitedly waved. "Yes! I'm getting some readings… but not like anything I've some across before… Try something else."

Harry levitated the chair and held in place at about five feet off the floor. He threw a blasting hex at it, which blew the back off and sent it smashing into the wall behind it. He followed that up with a 'Reparo' charm to fix it and finished by summoning the repaired chair to him. Harry snatched it easily out of the air and set it down lightly next to his leg.

"How's that?"

"Your abilities are a marvel to observe, Harry Potter," Teal'c said.

"You could take that act on the road, Kid," O'Neill commented.

"Except for that whole secrecy thing," Daniel said dryly.

"Yeah, except for that," O'Neill shot back.

"Fascinating, Harry," interrupted Sam. "The energy patterns vary from spell to spell with clear starting and stopping points for each. It looks like some require a much higher level of energy than others, like the one that blew the chair apart, for instance. Amazing, huh? You'll help me puzzle through this later… Right, Harry? Did you want to continue or did you want to try your shields now?"

Harry had to laugh at her enthusiasm not to mention her lung capacity. "I think we'll move on to the shields, Sam." He turned to Teal'c, who held a Staff Weapon and a holstered Zat'nik'tel. "While I'm fairly certain the stronger shields will hold, I think we should work with something besides me as a test subject, alright?"

"Like what?" asked Daniel curiously.

Harry pulled a ballpoint pen out of his back pocket. "This should do," he said as they stared at him oddly. He set it on the seat of the chair and stepped back. A quick transfiguration later, a small, black rat sat up on its haunches and twitched its nose. It made no move to escape. Harry turned back to find four jaws hanging open in astonishment. He suddenly realized he's never done any transfiguration in front of them before.

"Holy crap!"

"Is it… real?" Daniel got out, looking absolutely gobsmacked.

"Yes, for the moment."

"Harry! That's like- direct matter manipulation!" sputtered Sam, still staring at the rat on the chair. She shook herself. "What do you mean 'for the moment'?"

"It's called transfiguration and it's only temporary. It'll revert back to its original form over time. Most wizards' morphs last a couple of days at most. Personally, I think the energy holding the new form dissipates gradually until the change collapses," Harry mused thoughtfully.

Sam and Daniel appeared to be trying to wrap their minds around this latest bombshell and Teal'c looked a bit bemused but impressed.

O'Neill crossed his arms over his gun and shot Harry a no-nonsense look. "What about you, Copperfield?"

"Huh?" Harry said intelligently, wondering who or what a Copperfield was.

The Colonel waved an impatient hand. "You said 'most wizards'. How long do your transfiggeratons last?"

"Oh. Well, the smaller ones can last up to four days, less for the larger ones, of course."

"Why?" asked Sam, looking less shocked and more and more interested.

"The bigger the item the more energy is required to hold the change in place and the less energy a morph can afford to lose before it collapses," Harry said simply.

The astrophysicist nodded, "That makes sense… If we completely ignore how impossible it is…"

O'Neill snorted, "By all means, let's ignore the man behind the curtain and get on with this little demonstration before our impossible test subject runs off." The rat was peering over the edges of the chair by now.

Harry nodded in agreement and cast an absorption shield around the chair and its reluctant occupant. "Alright, Teal'c… Have a go."

Teal'c drew his Zat' from it holster and fired a shot at the target. The discordant sound scraped at their ears as the blue electrical energy shot across the room and impacted Harry's shield. There was a sort of screaming crackle as the blue lightning crawled over the shield's surface before it sank into it and diffused to a blue glow before vanishing. The rat was still sitting on the chair, apparently unharmed. It certainly wasn't unconscious.

"Brilliant," Harry said.

"I'll say," remarked O'Neill. "What about the Staff Weapon?"

Teal'c had already holstered the Zat' and was lifting the Staff from where he'd leaned it against the wall. Its tip opened and the plasma energy hummed threateningly as the Jaffa aimed and fired.

The collision of the plasma fire bolt against the shield caused a light burst that forced the group to look away, blinking spots.

"Hmm… not so brilliant," Harry said dryly, when they could see again.

The shield, while still intact, had been forced back nearly fifteen feet until it had run into the wall, leaving a black burn mark across the concrete floor from its starting point. The chair lay on its side with a broken leg and the rat was running in circles around it, squeaking madly.

"Looks like your shield will save you from the blast if not the concussion, Potter." O'Neill said. "Maybe you need seatbelts…"

"Ha, ha." Harry dropped the shield and sent a calming charm at the rat, which stopped running in circles. "Let's try 'Protego' next instead." He walked down the room and returned after setting the chair and rat back in the center of the receivers.

"Protego!" A halting gesture and a quick flick of his wrist cast a rebounding shield over the target.

Teal'c aimed and fired again.

"Hope no one's doing anything important behind that wall..." Daniel said, staring at the small, smoking crater.

The shot had ricocheted off the shield and impacted the left-hand wall. This time the shield had only moved back about five feet. The chair was rocking but still upright with a confused looking rat clinging to it.

"Better," Harry pronounced.

"Better unless you're the guy standing where the wall was…" O'Neill said sarcastically.

"Yeah, I'll have to keep that in mind," Harry said.

They ran through the rest of his shields... most weren't strong enough to hold against the concussive blast of the Staff weapon. Two of the weak ones had unfortunately fatal consequences for the test subject. Harry was sincerely grateful he'd started with the rat instead of himself. In the end, it looked like the explosion shield he'd used against the FireStorm was his best bet. He tried it himself after successfully testing it over the rat. Sam insisted that he wear a tac vest and a helmet for safety. Harry found he could hold the shield up against repeat Staff weapon's fire, although the blasts knocked him flat just about every time, no matter how he braced himself. Still… as O'Neill wryly said, "Better flat on you ass, than a toe tag in the morgue." It was hard to argue with that logic.

Of course, doing any sort of spellwork in front of strangers or even worse- enemies brought out its own sticky wicket. Harry realized he'd likely have to make that decision soon… He only hoped his choice was the right one…

"So's it my turn now?" O'Neill asked and gestured with the P90 he'd been casually holding all this time.

"Jack… Harry said that bullets wouldn't be effective against any of his shields," Daniel warned.

"I know. I just wanna make sure. Ya never know when something like that might come in handy some day. Potter! Put your shield up!" he called and brought the gun up.

Harry, who'd been at the far end of the room retrieving his pen and putting the chair back against the wall, turned around in time to see O'Neill aiming. He instinctively threw up the first shield which came to mind…

Unfortunately, that was Protego.

The bullets ricocheted off the shield in all directions- peppering the walls, the ceiling and the floor. Everyone hit the deck and covered their heads, including O'Neill.

The team only looked up as the sound died away to the occasional chink of small pieces of concrete falling from the walls and ceiling.

"Siiirrrr!" wailed Sam as she realized the ricochets had smashed three of her crystal receivers.

"Jack- Please don't do that again," Daniel begged.

"Indeed. I would wish you had refrained, O'Neill," Teal'c said.

O'Neill sheepishly said, "Oops," as he surveyed the mess.

"I'll say," said Harry and started to snicker.

* * *

_**SGC: Hammond's Office**_

With a resigned sigh, George Hammond put O'Neill's preliminary report on the recent locker-room incident and his recommended disciplinary actions away in its folder and sent Colonel Tom Rundell (the Cheyenne Mountain public-affairs liaison) to bring the esteemed Emmett Bregman. The President's order had given him no choice but to allow this invasion into his people's privacy… However, he certainly wasn't happy about it and saw no reason to let Bregman or his 'pre-approved' crew one single step inside operations any further than he absolutely had to.

There was a knock at the door and Rundell stepped inside. He held the door for the man behind him. "General Hammond, sir? This is Mr. Bregman." The colonel placed a file folder on the desk in front of Hammond and withdrew to the corner.

A slightly overweight man with dark curly hair and a wide, friendly smile stepped forward. "I'm _very_ excited to be here, sir." He held out his hand for Hammond to shake but the general ignored it and opened the file folder.

"You _may_ find that we're not all as giddy as _you_ about this project, Mr. Bregman," he said.

"Uh… Giddy? Uh… I, well, I'm personally and professionally, uh, excited to be here, General but I haven't been uh, giddy since… Well, you don't want to know about that." Bregman's voice trailed off awkwardly.

"No," Hammond said flatly.

"Uh… No, right."

"I just wanted to be as clear as I can up front," Hammond said. "Your presence here is highly unorthodox and I will not let it threaten the security of any ongoing missions or the safety of my people."

Bregman nodded in understanding and then, obviously desperate to lighten the mood said, "Well, I've already been frisked three times. We could go for a fourth. You could do it personally… Get to know each other a little… better… if you want." He seemed to notice how _unamused_ the General looked. "Um… Sorry."

Looking totally serious, Hammond stated, " I consider it my primary responsibility to protect my people's interests."

"I understand that," Bregman said, also serious.

"And quite frankly, I feel it's appropriate to warn you that no one around here wants to be part of your little reality show."

"Oh, I see." Bregman cleared his throat. "You know, General, I think you're probably aware that there were film cameras on the beaches of Normandy decades before 'Survivor' debuted on CBS. And, personally, I think it's an outrageous oversight that the Stargate Program hasn't been chronicled up to this point. This is history in the making here."

Hammond frowned. "That's because it's top secret. Only a handful of people will see anything you shoot."

Bregman tutted, "So far, General, so far. Eventually, inevitably, this program is going to be disclosed to the American people and to the whole world. I'd like to think that this little film we're doing here might in some small way provide some insight into what's really been happening here for the last six years."

"What's really been happening here?" Hammond repeated, almost visualizing the quotation marks.

Bregman chuckled without humor. "You know what, General? I respect what you're doing her. I can even respect that you don't like this project and want me out of here… However, the President of the United States _invited_ me to do this."

Hammond pointed at his desk. "You see that red phone? You wouldn't have been let inside the building if he hadn't."

Bregman looked slightly shaken but still determined. "Well, then, I hope I can expect the full cooperation of you and your personnel."

"To the letter of these orders," Hammond gestured to the appropriate folder.

"To the letter… I see. I see. Well, thank you for that," he said and then moved toward the door.

"You have high expectations to meet, Mr. Bregman."

Bregman paused a brief moment then left with a grim expression on his face.

Colonel Rundell, who was still in the corner at attention, nodded to Hammond and followed the filmmaker.

Hammond sighed again and opened the file folder to closely review the exact orders he needed to follow.

* * *

_**SGC Level 25**_

Ever since Hedwig had arrived, she had insisted on going with Harry nearly everywhere he went. This presented something of a problem outside his room and some of the labs, where she would usually sit unobtrusively on her perch or the backs of chairs. His solution was to place a mild Notice-Me-Not charm on her.

This had a couple of unexpected side-effects. The first was that the charm seemed to 'bleed' off onto him when Hedwig sat on his shoulder, which was good because he didn't have to deal with constant questions about 'the bird' and not so good because people who didn't know him often had trouble locating him. The second odd side-effect was that the charm seemed to be somewhat selective about who could see through it. All the people who'd signed his agreement (meaning the team and the general) and several from the Infirmary (meaning Dr. Fraiser and Anne Fairwell) had no trouble at all seeing both him and Hedwig. It was almost like they expected to see them… so they did.

Harry'd never suspected a charm could be so selective. He decided he'd have to try a few experiments sometime. It could have to do with the mildness of the charm or the mental strength and expectations of those individuals or perhaps his own will and intent. The phenomenon might be worth a little extra study…

Anyways, Harry had never been more grateful for his periodic and unexpected 'invisibility' than since Emmett Bregman and his comedy crew had arrived. They were constantly haunting the halls with their equipment, filming whoever walked by and trying to interview anyone interesting.

Today, he and Hedwig set off for the Science Labs. Teal'c had mentioned that he and several of the scientists were going to work on ways to improve the tac vests' effectiveness against Jaffa Staff weapons. Dr. Lee had come up with some alternative materials that needed testing and Harry had asked Teal'c if he could join them.

As he walked down the hall from his quarters he nearly got run over by O'Neill, who seemed to be in a hurry.

"Hey kid. No time to talk now. I need to catch the elevator."

"Not a problem… so do I," Harry said and lengthened his stride to match the colonel's.

The reason for the hurry soon appeared.

"Colonel O'Neill! Hi. I'm-" called Bregman as he and his camera crew came around the corner and headed straight for O'Neill, who walked faster.

Not even breaking stride, O'Neill said, "I like vanilla over chocolate. My favorite color is… peridot. I prefer BDUs over just about anything. I think Tibet should be free… That Kinsey's a pompous windbag and if I could have dinner with anyone in the world, it'd be Mary Steenburgen."

Bregman chased them to the elevator, but came up short as he processed O'Neill's last comment.

"No- no, I'm just trying to… Mary Steenburgen?"

"I think she's nice."

The elevator doors started to close and Bregman forced himself into the doorway to keep them open.

"Look, I'm just trying to get a minute here…"

O'Neill calmly repressed the elevator door button and leaned forward as Bregman stabilized himself in the doorframe.

"Well, I don't really have time at the moment."

"Can't you-? No, no. I'm gonna need…"

"I've got a briefing to get to," O'Neill said implacably.

"I understand. Uh... I'm Emmett-" Bregman offered his hand. O'Neill coughed into his right hand and then moved to shake Bregman's. Harry snickered when the filmmaker reconsidered and pulled his hand back.

"Now look, I'm not going to be able to get a perspective on this whole Stargate Program without you, Colonel. So when is a good time for you?"

"Oh, anytime's good. Just, uh, send me a memo." He shoved Bregman back slightly and the doors closed in his face.

Harry laughed. "You have a very insistent fan club, I see."

"A damned nuisance… Can't see why Hammond agreed with it," O'Neill muttered.

"Didn't sound like he was given a chance to disagree," Harry said. "So… Who is Kinsey?"

"Asshole politician. When he isn't trying to take control here, he's attempting to shut us down or just causing problems that we don't have the time to deal with."

"Sounds like a lovely bloke. Sort of like Scrimgeour."

"How's that working out, anyways?" O'Neill asked.

"Well, Neville wrote that he's up for a vote of No Confidence pending their final review. Seems that the people can handle corruption and double-dealing and mishandling of innocents and evidence but embezzlement… that's where they draw the line. I dunno… he could still wiggle out of it. We'll just have to see.

"World's a screwy place."

"Yeah."

"So how come you can walk down a hallway with the big, white feather-duster on your shoulder and I can't make it 20 yards without the Inquisition?"

"I'm just not a memorable person like you are, Colonel," Harry deadpanned.

"Riight."

The elevator dinged on Level 19.

"See ya around kid," O'Neill said as Harry stepped out and the doors began to close again. "Better let that bird fly around a bit before she gets too fat."

Hedwig gave a hooting snort and ruffled her feathers.

Harry scratched her head and smoothed down her chest feathers. "Don't worry, girl. I'll tell you where he lives later, alright?"

She head-butted his face and nibbled at his talented fingers. _Revenge on stupid humans could wait…._

* * *

_**Science Labs**_

The Science Lab was a bustling hive of activity when Harry arrived. There were some extensive repairs being made to a MALP, which had been hit by weapon's fire. One man was soldering something onto a gadget in the corner, sparks flying.

Dr. Bill Lee was talking to Teal'c and Sergeant Siler as Harry walked up to them. Dr. Lee smiled and said, "Dr. Potter, so glad you could join us."

Lee tapped the Kevlar helmet that he held up. "Okay… We know that Kevlar will not stop the energy blast from a staff weapon," Lee said. "And, uh, the armor plating in other bullet-proof protection gets superheated from the plasma, so… " He picked up a shiny thin sheet of metal and knocked on it in demonstration. "…While it would stop penetration, the wearer is essentially trapped in what becomes their own personal Microwave oven. And, uh, you know… Not a good idea."

Lee waved to a corner, where a protection vest was worn by a scorched and smoking mannequin, was lying.

"Anyways, we've been working on this…" He plucked a thin, black plastic square off the work-table. "It's a ceramic polymer, which will resist heat and hopefully will stop the blast. Plus-" He waved the black square. "…it fits into a standard issue SG vest… which Sergeant Siler here has volunteered to demonstrate for us."

Lee pointed at Siler, who was geared up in a vest, heavy gloves and a protective helmet with a face shield over his usual BDU jumpsuit. Teal'c now wearing goggles, picked up a staff weapon from against the wall.

Harry glanced over at the smoking mannequin. "Uh… Wouldn't it be a better idea to ah… shoot Siler in the leg… just this first time round?" he asked.

"Oh, we did that already," Dr. Lee assured him and pointed out another dummie with a scorched pantleg.

"Right."

They got back out of range as Siler flipped down his face shield. "Away from the face, big guy," Siler said to Teal'c.

The large Jaffa didn't answer. He just took his position and fired. Siler was knocked violently into the padded wall with his vest on fire.

The Sergeant collapsed onto the floor, struggling to breathe. He lay still as an airman rushed over with a extinguisher and snuffed out the flames.

"It's good. I'm fine," croaked Siler.

Harry stared wide-eyed.

Lee cleared his throat. "You see? Um, yeah."

"Yeah." Feeling a bit uncertain about wearing one of the vests, Harry turned to the scientist. "Um… Dr. Lee, I've heard of a material that might do… better. It'll take me a couple of days to get some here, but I think I'll order you some samples, alright?"

"Uh… Sure, whatever," Lee muttered distractedly before rushing to help lift Siler up to his feet and brushing him off.

Harry shook his head in amazement. _What a place!_

* * *

_**Harry's Room**_

Unfortunately, Harry couldn't avoid the film crew indefinitely… (Well, he could but had been ordered not to.) His formal interview was set up in his room with him sitting stiffly at the table he used as a desk, surrounded by the packed bookshelves Dobby had installed.

Bregman immediately confiscated Harry's favorite armchair while his helpers rigged the lights and sound equipment.

With the camera looming over his shoulder, Bregman smiled genially. He was obviously trying to put Harry at his ease but frankly… Harry didn't think he'd been this uncomfortable since the TriWizard Tournament interview in the broom-cupboard with Rita Skeeter. In the excitement after Voldemort's fall, the reporters had been too busy congratulating him and celebrating to do much interrogating and when the public had turned against him, Harry'd been so disgusted that he'd mostly refused to speak with them. Since that time, the Boy-Who-Lived had spent the majority of his time in the muggle world or traveled incognito as Patrick Anderson. Interviews didn't come up much on archeological digs.

"Uh… your room seems… bigger than most. If you don't mind my saying so, Dr. Potter," Bregman chattered on.

Harry didn't pay much attention to his attempts at small talk… Instead, he focused on an exercise that had helped him deal with nerves in the past. Basically, he tried to pictured what their animagus form would be… (if they could have that ability) It was quietly entertaining and always distracted him from his own nervousness. He decided Bregman reminded of a small dog, perhaps a cairn terrier, not at all intimidating in stature or demeanor but surprisingly scrappy and tenacious.

Bregman cleared his throat loudly to draw his attention back. "Well, now… There's no need to be… uh, nervous about this…" Harry threw him a sharp glance. "I mean, not that you're… uh, just concentrated on me and don't think about the camera. All right?"

Harry nodded and pictured the dog wearing one of those stupid t-shirts that said: Trust Me- I'm harmless. It seemed to do the trick.

"Ready Mr. Bregman."

"Okay! Wonderful." Bregman leaned forward eagerly. "Okay, so… We're here today talking with Dr. Harry Potter, the newest member of the elite SG1 team. How did that come about?"

"We met and they talked me into it," Harry replied.

"Uh, right… but I meant… uh… Nevermind. Has it been difficult to be the new man on such an established team?" Bregman asked.

"At first, but I'm settling in nicely now that the nightly carousing has tapered off."

"Uh, right…"Bregman didn't seem to know if he was kidding or not. "Well, reading your file here… It says you're achieved three doctorates already and you're only 24. Wow, that's an amazing accomplishment. You must be frightfully intelligent…" Bregman burbled.

"Hmm…" Harry said unhelpfully. "Mr. Bregman- I think you'll find that nearly _everyone_ working here has an extensive grounding or training in their field. The Stargate Program tends to attract them... or recruit them."

"Of course... of course, only the best and brightest," Bregman laughed. "I just meant to asked if you'd ever dreamed that this was how you'd be putting all that education to use?"

"No. Not really."

"Uh… right. Um… Well, it must be exciting… this job, I mean… Exploring new worlds and such."

"Pretty normal, actually."

"Uh… Normal?"

"SightSeeing for the most part."

"SightSeeing?"

"Yeah… We go out, see things, meet people and then come back and talked about it," Harry said matter-of-factly.

"You mean 'meet aliens', don't you?" Bregman asked pointedly.

"They're still just people. Some good, some bad," Harry answered.

"And you consider that normal?"

"Pretty much."

"Uh… What about these enemies… the Gou'alds? What do you think about them?" Bregman asked seriously.

"I think that there's always going to be a bully in every playpark, no matter what the size." Harry's voice trailed off, thinking about the magical world and Voldemort.

"And?" prompted Bregman.

"And you can't just let a bully win… whether it's the kid stealing lunch money or the galactic spacelord with armies at their command… not if you expect to keep the way of life we all hope to enjoy. Someone has to stand up to people like that… or even push back. Otherwise, they'll keep shoving until they have everything and we'll have nothing… or at least nothing worth having," Harry said with total conviction.

Bregman looked ecstatic, although that was probably because someone had finally said more than yes/no/maybe later in front of his camera. "Oh! Wonderfully said, Dr. Potter," the filmmaker gushed. "So, you definitely think that the explorations through the Stargate should continue then?"

Harry hadn't really intended to spout off like that (not that he didn't believe every word…) but in for penny, in for a pound. He shrugged at Bregman's question. "The entire galaxy went from a lofty and distant dream to an immediate tangible reality the moment SG1 stepped through the Gate for the first time. The knowledge and discoveries that have returned through the Stargate in just the past six years will advance science by decades if not more. I think it would be… difficult to stuff that genie back in the bottle."

Bregman glanced down at his notes and seemed to shift gears. "Uh, you're from England, um… obviously. A long way from home… How does your family feel about your involvement in something so dangerous and top secret?" he asked.

Harry could feel his face freezing up and his hands clenched into fists. His abrupt "No comment" was cut off by a shout from the cameraman. The machine near his ear had sparked violently and the man nearly dropped it on Bregman's head in his haste to put it down. The filmmaker leaped to his feet as the camera landed in the chair. It sat there, spitting sparks occasionally and smoking slightly, with the film-crew all staring down at it. They didn't seem to notice that all their lights had also gone out.

"What the Hell?!"

Harry stood and walked over. "Oh, dear… Well, uh… You seem to be experiencing some technical difficulties here, Mr. Bregman. It's been… interesting talking to you but I have things I need to get back to, so I guess I'll be going." Bregman sputtered a bit but looked helplessly down at the smoking camera.

"Uh… hope your film's alright…" Harry said as he went toward the door. He hoped that sounded vaguely sincere.

Behind him, Bregman squawked "The Film!" and dove for the chair.


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: Well, it's been awhile. I've decided I really don't enjoy trying to merge my story with canon. I'd much rather just write what I want. Anyways, we're in the home stretch for this episode and then it's on to the next one. (Ha,Ha) As for Janet Fraiser... Well, you'll just have to wait and see.

Without further chit-chat... Here's the next chapter. Happy reading!

_**Chapter 22: P3X-666**_

* * *

_**SGC Commissary**_

The Commissary was crowded with scattered groups of soldiers and scientists when Harry entered. He collected a tray and filled it as he walked down the line. Lunch consisted of a sandwich (he picked one with the _least_ limp looking lettuce), a fruit cup and then filled one of the Styrofoam cups with hot water before adding a tea bag. Turning, Harry scanned the room for a place to sit. The place was packed today.

O'Neill was sitting off by himself, reading something in a folder but he glanced up as Harry came over to his table.

"May I sit here, Colonel?" Harry asked.

The man responded by kicking out a chair across from him in invitation. "Go ahead," he said and went back to his report.

Harry'd seated himself and was just reaching for a white packet of sugar when there was a soft 'pop', which caused O'Neill to look up, startled. They both stared at Harry's tray.

"Hungry?" O'Neill said mildly.

"Umm… Dobby's been concerned that I don't eat enough here…" Harry said. He shrugged and added the sugar to the steaming china cup (complete with Gryffindor lion motif). The small plastic wrapped sandwich had also vanished. It had been replaced by a huge double-decker loaded with all the fixings on fresh, Home-made bread. While it looked delicious, Harry had some serious doubts about getting his mouth around it. The small fruit cup with the removable foil top had changed to a white bowl filled with fresh strawberries, blueberries and peach slices.

"How do I get him concerned about me?" O'Neill asked. "Those look good." He reached over and stole a strawberry form Harry's dish. He jumped slightly when another bowl suddenly appeared at his elbow. "Cool! You can eat with me anytime, Kid."

"Nice to know I'm wanted, sir."

They grinned at each other before settling into a companionable silence while Harry enjoyed his modified lunch and O'Neill returned to the specs report on the new M60-E3s and munched his way through the fruit.

Harry only looked up when the noise level of the room suddenly changed. He glanced toward the doorway to find a tall man wearing a very expensive suit standing there, flanked by a couple of Rugby player clones- bodyguards, presumably… and followed by Bregman's film crew. Harry looked back in time to see O'Neill stiffen and then determinedly go back to reading his report.

The suit marched in their direction, closely followed by his entourage. A smile of alarming falseness flashed along with a set of gold cufflinks as the man expansively greeted O'Neill. "Ah, Colonel! As I'm sure you've heard, I'm here to be part of the piece these good men are putting together to document the fine work you're doing here at the SGC."

The colonel didn't bother to look up. "No, I didn't know that." His tone suggested he didn't care either.

The suit laughed in a false way that was disturbingly reminiscent of the late Dolores Umbridge. "Oh well… I'm-I'm sure there must have been a memo…"

"Did you get a memo, Kid?" O'Neill asked, still without looking up.

"Well, there was one on the sewage backup on Level 17, but I thought they'd fixed it," Harry answered, glancing at the group over his teacup.

"Just goes to prove that one can never be too careful…" O'Neill drawled.

Steam looked like it might be pouring out of the tall man's ears soon but he visibly reined in his temper. The fake smile appeared again. "Ah… Dr. Harry Potter, our resident British scholar. I've read some good things about you," the man smoothly said. "I'm Senator Robert Kinsey. It's inspiring to see the spirit of international cooperation present here at the SGC…"

Harry found his attention wandering away after the first few lines of dribble came pouring out of the politician's mouth. The bodyguard standing directly behind Kinsey had been coolly scanning the room. The dark eyes shot back to Harry's face at the introduction and then flicked upwards towards his forehead before moving on. Harry continued to keep an eye on him but the bodyguard paid him no further attention.

"…I'm sure when my running mate and I are elected, the bonds between our two governments will become even stronger… The assistance of individuals like yourself in that endeavor will be greatly valued, of course…" Kinsey ended.

"Yeah… I'm really tight with the British government," Harry said, irony heavy in his voice.

O'Neill snorted into his report, but didn't say anything further.

Kinsey ignored their comments, although his eyes flicked dismissively over Harry's plain green BDUs. " I'm sure. As a leading member of the Appropriations Committee, I'd appreciate any insights on how well this facility is being managed and any changes you think might be necessary for improvement… As a visitor from our foreign allies, you'd have a unique perspective on the SGC…"

"I think it's being managed just fine…" Harry began only to be interrupted by O'Neill.

"Kinsey- What are you doing here? I know it's not to simply annoy our guests… I mean, the last time anyone checked, you were nitpicking this place apart." He sounded totally exasperated.

Kinsey flicked a glance toward the documentary camera. "I have always been a strong supporter of this program. I admit I was critical in the past, but that was only because of the unrealized potential I see this operation as having," he said loudly.

"Well, did you tell them about the time you tried to get this place shut down? Or how about the time you had Hammond by the short hairs?" O'Neill said (just as loudly).

Kinsey quickly interrupted. "I suggest you watch what you say, Colonel. Slander is a serious offense."

"Yes, so I hear," O'Neill replied dryly. He snapped his report shut.

"How did your interview go, Colonel?" Kinsey said snidely.

O'Neill stood. "It was short." He glanced at Bregman, who had chuckled at his response.

Kinsey frowned disapprovingly. "The President wants you to play ball on this. I hope you're not intending to disappoint out Commander-in-Chief, I would think you would want to show your appreciation for his solid backing over the years."

"I thought you were trying to discredit the guy, Kinsey."

"His term is up. My running mate and I are merely pointing out to the American people, certain areas where we think we can do a better job." He paused. "And… I know we can count on your vote, Colonel…" his voice trailed off suggestively.

"Yeah… that'll happen," O'Neill said sarcastically. He moved to leave the Commissary. Harry rose to follow him out. He did not want to get caught alone with this bunch.

Kinsey followed them. "I want you to know this… If elected, this program can count on our full support," the Senator announce grandly.

O'Neill whirled around. He nodded to the documentary crew and made sure they were filming. "You smarmy, self-righteous, opportunistic ass-"

A loud Klaxon blare drowned out much of the Colonel's rant. **'Unscheduled Offworld Activation. Colonel O'Neill report to the control room. Repeat. Unscheduled Offworld Activation.'** Probably a good thing since what they could hear of it consisted of phrases like- "…you are not going to…" and "…son of a bitch…" The Senator was visibly fuming by the end.

"Duty calls," O'Neill finished pleasantly and turned to walk away.

"Colonel. What is this 'Offworld Activation'? Is it serious?" Bregman asked eagerly.

"I won't know until I get there."

"Well, where's… there?"

"There is here… for you. Come on, Potter."

"Coming, Colonel." Harry gave a last look at Kinsey's dark-eyed bodyguard and followed O'Neill toward the lift. _At least I've found the perfect recipient for that painting of the nude barmaid…_ he thought.

* * *

_**Control Room**_

After the call summoned him over the PA, Jack quickly ditched Kinsey and the film parade to hurry down to Level 28. However, the crisis turned out to be nothing more than an unscheduled checkin by Dixon's SG13. _Bless Hammond's cast-iron coated, marshmallow heart, _he thought fondly.

Jack and Potter joined the group crowded into the control room. Carter and Daniel stood behind the General and Sergeant Harriman watching a video feed from the offworld MALP.

"You're sure this… droid was destroyed?" Hammond asked.

"Oh yeah, sir. Duncan checked it over for possible threats but it's dead. The wall really did a number on it. There's nothing left but pieces now. We'll be sending them through momentarily," Colonel David Dixon reported.

Another face appeared on camera… one of Daniel's eager beavers. "We need to finish searching these ruins."

"Balinsky wants to stay, sir," Dixon translated.

"Do you see anything else worth staying for, Dave?" Jack asked.

Dixon shrugged and looked around behind him before facing the camera again. "Hard to say."

"How long?" Hammond asked.

"Realistically? A day or two. Maybe more," Balinsky stated.

"It'd be nice to send an UAV, General. At least we could get an aerial overview," Daniel piped in.

"All right. Permission granted to remain. I'll send SG3 as back up just in case. Any sign of further threat, you get out of there immediately, Colonel."

"Understood, sir," Dixon replied.

"In the meantime, I can run some tests on what's left of the device… See what it was doing there," Carter volunteered.

Hammond nodded. "Send the device and report in on the hour, Colonel."

"Yes, sir. SG13 out."

A package rattled through the event horizon on the MALP and the Wormhole disengaged. Carter headed for the Gateroom and Daniel and Potter wandered toward the door discussing whatever it was that rockpickers find so fascinating.

Jack stopped Hammond as he turned to leave. "Sir… um, it's not that I don't appreciate the reprieve but…"

The general held up a hand. "I knew Kinsey and Bregman were headed your way and I thought you might be looking for an excuse to get away, Colonel," he said matter-of-factly.

"I thought as much sir. And I just wanted to express my deep and undying… love for you, sir."

Hammond shot him a look that plainly said not the push it and headed for his office.

* * *

_**Daniel's Office**_

"You find anything else on this crystal garden address of yours, Harry?" Daniel asked as they sat down at their respective desks in his office. He and Potter returned there after the brief excitement in the control room to continue their translation efforts on Harry's book. "I agree it sounds intriguing…"

"Nothing but what I wrote down before," Harry said from his corner. It was nearly as cluttered as Daniel's desk and had several piles of his notes and reference books pressing in around the young man's elbows. "Perhaps the author only went there the one time. The list of plants for that address is tiny compared to many of the others… As a botanist, maybe the place wasn't worth a return visit…"

"Maybe… Let's-" Daniel stopped as Bregman popped his head around the doorjam.

"Uh, Dr. Jackson? Hi."

Reluctantly, and because he really didn't want to talk to the filmmaker, Daniel turned.

"Mr. Bregman. What can we do for you?" Harry politely inquired before Daniel could speak.

"Oh- Dr. Potter! I almost didn't see uh… see you back there. Sorry if I'm interrupting anything important."

"Not really… We hadn't gotten started yet," Harry said dryly.

"Uh. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that the tape of your interview was salvageable. So we won't have to redo it," Bregman babbled.

"Simply ecstatic, sir," Harry said with a straight face.

Daniel snorted.

"Uh… right. Well." He pointed at Daniel's half unpacked offworld gear, which was scattered across most of his desk, including his trusty hat and his camcorder. "That's the camera you use uh… offworld, isn't it?" Bregman asked.

"Yeah."

The filmmaker picked up the camcorder and hefted it a couple of times before examining it closer. "I've seen hours and hours of your footage, Doctor. Hours of it. Inscriptions and ruins and … artifacts." He tapped the camera against his hand.

Daniel grinned and shared a smile with Harry over Bregman's shoulder. "Cool, huh?"

With a serious lack of enthusiasm for all the fascinating artifact discoveries they'd made, Bregman nodded his head and handed the camera back. "Uh, well. I just wondered… Uh, if you get the opportunity, I mean. If you could point your camera at some… action, you know, just for a change. Okay?"

Daniel set the camcorder back next to his bag. "See, that's the thing. When there's action, I'm usually too busy to be pointing a camera. I'm, you know, running, shooting, translating what the bad guys are saying. That kind of thing…"

Bregman put his hands up in a placating gesture and backed away toward the doorway. "It's just that, you know… for me, I mean, I've heard and read a lot about these amazing events. Unfortunately, my medium is visual. I can't tell the real story unless I have pictures. I'm- I'm not suggesting you put anybody in danger, not yourself or… but- but if the opportunity arises… just, well… take a second and point your lens at something that, you know… moves." The man looked hopeful.

Daniel impatiently glanced at his watch. "Right. Well, I'm not scheduled to go on a mission for another couple of days…" His voice trailed off suggestively.

"No, no, no. Just if there's a chance… Shoot it."

"Right." Daniel found his jaw tightening with annoyance.

"Action! Just some movement would be good." Bregman made a running gesture with his fingers before backing out through the door and out of sight.

Daniel picked up his camcorder and shoved it forcefully down into the very bottom of his pack. "Do you believe that guy?" he said.

"He's probably never been in an 'action situation' in his life, Daniel…" Harry said quietly. "Either that or he just doesn't appreciate the drama of a centuries–old colonnade, covered with untranslated runic script documenting the histories and beliefs of peoples long gone," Harry said dryly.

"Exactly," Daniel stated firmly.

"You could show him the footage of that pendulum artifact on R5M-789… that moved. Or the time that wall nearly fell on you when you misread the word 'don't'… that had action."

Daniel groaned. "Jack told you about that, didn't he?"

"I think he remembers it quite fondly."

"Right."

The younger man suddenly snickered.

"What?"

"I can see it all now… 'Indiana Jackson and his action-filled adventures'," Harry laughed.

Daniel grimaced. "Don't mock your Elders… and don't get me started on what's wrong with those movies… or I really will invest in a bullwhip."

Harry pretended to cower in fear. "Yes, oh ancient one."

"Oh, shut up and get back to work," Daniel growled.

Harry saluted mockingly and they'd settled back down to their separate desks when Daniel's radio went off.

"Yes?" he sighed and answered. (The problem with radios was they allowed others to find you…)

"Daniel?" came Sam's cheerful voice. "Could you come down here for a minute? I've recalled that drone's code but it's going to need some translating…"

"Yeah sure, Sam." Daniel set aside the Ancient botanist's notes and stood to go.

"Are you going to need any help down there?" Harry asked seriously.

"Nah. Shouldn't be a problem. You keep working on this end. I should be back in a bit."

"Alright."

Daniel turned and headed for Level 19.

* * *

_**Sam's Lab**_

"Whatcha got, Sam?" Daniel asked curiously as he came through her lab-room door.

Sam had been studying the wreckage of the device that had attacked SG13 on P3X-666. Teal'c was observing. "Just a sec, Daniel," the astrophysicist called as she adjusted the leads connecting her diagnostic laptop to the device. It beeped before finally scrolling through an array of schematics. Gou'ald, by the look of them. "Well, it's definitely a remote probe of some kind. The storage capacity of the memory crystals is immense, but so far all I've found are detailed images of the ruins…"

"You ever seen anything like this, Teal'c?" Daniel asked.

"I have not," the Jaffa replied.

"You know… it makes sense. We use a MALP. Why wouldn't the Gou'ald?" Sam said.

"The Gou'ald are scavengers. It is quite possible they got the idea from us," Teal'c commented.

"How helpful of us…" Daniel remarked. "Uh… you wanted me to translate something?"

"Yeah. I'm just trying to get the interface connection more stable," Sam said as she finished adjusting the wires. "That's better. SG13 really kicked the crap out of this thing. Its system log seems to be isolated on a separate crystal from memory control." She switched the main lead to the blue crystal and tapped a few commands into her laptop. Video images flashed by in spits and starts. "Better," she said before switching crystals again and looking up. "So… How'd your interviews with the documentary crew go? I have to admit, I can't wait to hear what everyone said."

"I did not say much," Teal'c replied.

"Really?" Daniel deadpanned.

"That _is_ surprising… It's usually so hard to shut you up," Sam said and grinned as the Jaffa raised his eyebrow.

"I found the entire experience unpleasant."

"What about you, Daniel?"

"You know, Bregman actually had the nerve to suggest that all the archival video footage I gave him was boring?" Daniel complained.

Sam tried to make her face sympathetic but actually felt more sympathy for Bregman. "Imagine that."

Daniel wrinkled his nose at her and paced back and forth. "What really bugs me about it is the only reason he's here is because this President's on his way out and knows it, right? And he doesn't want to look bad if and when the Stargate Program ever goes public, right? None of this is about truth or why we do some of the things we do… It's all about political posturing and covering his backside."

Teal'c shrugged impassively.

"I try not to think about it too much," Sam answered honestly.

"What did you say?" Daniel asked curiously and stopped pacing to look at her.

"I mostly babbled incoherently…"

"You told him how a wormhole works, didn't you?" Daniel grinned slyly.

Sam could feel her cheeks heating up and damned her fair complexion. "Amongst other things," she said primly.

The laptop recalled their attention back to the matter at hand. Data written in Gou'ald began pouring down the screen and she quickly adjusted the setting to slow it down.

"There."

Daniel leaned in over her shoulder and scanned it quickly before scrolling down through the text. "It's mostly just technical stuff."

"Anything jump out at you."

Daniel pointed to the last few lines of text. "Well, here's where it encountered SG13… uh-oh."

"What-what, uh-oh?" Sam asked.

"Well, after it engaged shields and weapons, it activated a long-range communicator."

Sam felt worry creep up her spine.

"Uh-oh, indeed," Teal'c said for all of them.

* * *

_**SGC Control Room**_

'**Unscheduled Offworld Activation'**

George Hammond waited tensely as the IDC was confirmed and then as a frantic Dr. Balinsky came pounding through the Gate. It had been less than five minutes since he'd ordered SG13 home, based on Major' Carter's report. With a heavy feeling in his gut, the general's feet carried him down to meet the doctor.

"What's happened, son?" he barked.

Balinsky had his hands on his knees and was trying to catch his breath from the headlong rush back to the Gate. "Sir! (pant,pant)" he gasped out, still breathing heavily. "It's Wells, sir. They were ambushed… The Colonel said to get back here. (pant, pant) He's requesting assistance as soon as possible," the redheaded archeologist got out.

"What's the situation with Wells, son?"

"Wells is alive, but he's hurt bad. He took a Staff blast to his lower back and can't be moved," Balinsky reported.

O'Neill swung into the room in the middle of Balinsky's statement.

"How many Jaffa?" he asked.

"I-I don't know, sir."

"Five, ten, a hundred, what?" snapped the impatient colonel.

"Uh… They said they counted six originally. Duncan and Bosworth were able to fend them off. They were holding their position, protecting Wells. The Colonel's at the Gate with SG3."

"Did the Jaffa come through the Gate?" Hammond asked.

"No, no. They had to have come by ship. SG3 was covering the Gate and there was no sign of them," Balinsky said.

"The Gate's clear?" O'Neill asked, clearly surprised but his face went serious again and he turned to Hammond. "Sir, if they came by ship, there's going to be more than six of them…"

If he'd had hair it would have been standing up on the back on his neck, the general thought. He turned to face O'Neill. "Take SG5 and 7 and Doctor Fraiser's team," he ordered.

"Thank you, sir," O'Neill said as he headed for the door.

"And Colonel…"

O'Neill turned back. "Yes sir. I know. It sounds like an ambush to me too… but there's nothing else we can do, right?"

"Right. Go."

Balinsky glanced back over his shoulder at the Gate, looking very worried.

* * *

The corridors outside the GateRoom and across Level 28 exploded into organized mayhem. Soldiers had appeared as if by magic, grabbed their gear and headed for the GateRoom.

Harry threaded his way through the confusion toward the armory as quickly as he could. He bumped into Sam and Daniel just outside the doorway. Sam shot him a small smile as they entered and got in the queue for vests and guns.

"Any idea what this is about?" Harry asked.

"SG13's got a man down and has requested immediate backup," Daniel said tersely.

The line moved quickly and soon they were headed down the hallway. Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c fell into step beside them.

There was very little talking… just the sound of purposeful footsteps until Daniel suddenly said guiltily, "This is all because I wanted an aerial survey…"

"It took me far too long to figure out that probe sent a message…" Sam added quietly.

Before the guilt could rise any further, O'Neill cut them off. "None of that matters now."

Harry could feel the Stargate powering up as they neared the GateRoom. The Energy burst peaked and settled as the teams lined up together at the base of the ramp.

Harry gave a nod to Anne Fairwell, where she stood next to Dr. Fraiser. She returned it solemnly but glanced away as O'Neill swung up his P90 and stepped onto the ramp.

"Let's go, Campers."

* * *

_**P3X-666**_

The plasma blasts were whizzing by their heads as Jack and the others began to emerge from the Stargate. Dixon and SG3 had taken up a good defensive position in the ruins of a broken colonnade. Jaffa troops were attempting to flank through the treecover on the left and Jack started firing off orders as the new teams rematerialized.

"Major Warren. You and SG5 take the left. Canfield. SG7 take the right. Get those E3s into position in case more show up." He had to stop and duck a hair-raisingly close Staff blast. Both Teal'c and Carter had already taken cover and were returning fire on the attacking Jaffa. Potter had stopped to help Fraiser's medic, who'd dropped her pack ducking the heavy weapons fire.

Jack turned to Daniel and the doctor. "Daniel. You and Potter go with Fraiser to get Wells. Hoof it back here as soon as possible. No sightseeing. Got it?"

"Got it. Sightseeing next time," Daniel shot back and they all headed for the eastern treeline.

Jack joined Carter and Teal'c as they worked their way forward in an interspersing pattern. He let off several rounds of armor piercing bullets at the steadily oncoming Jaffa before settling into cover near SG13's leader.

"Hi Jack! Nice of you to drop by," Dave Dixon called cheerfully.

"I was told you said six Jaffa! Where'd you learn to count?" Jack threw back.

Dixon shrugged. "They didn't start raining down until you showed up. Something tells me they're throwing this party in your honor, Jack. You got any spare clips?"

Jack dug out two clips of ammunition and tossed them to Dixon.

The rat-a-tat sound of P90 fire was pretty much constant now, along with Staff blasts as even more Jaffa kept coming.

A louder series of explosions drew Jack's attention. He turned in time to see four death gliders sweep low over the trees to the south of their position. They banked and swung back for a return run. Warren started shouting over the radio at the Airmen holding the E3s and bazooka. Return fire nailed the leading death glider and it spun off with one wing gone. The others veered away. In the distance, an Al'kesh could be seen. Its ring transports sending down more ground troops.

"_Not good!"_ he muttered to himself. "More party crashers to the south, people!" he called over the radio.

Another, closer explosion from a death glider's impact, caused a cloud of debris on left. It made it very hard to see the enemy on that side.

Teal'c squinted and then spotted three Jaffa sneaking closer than the others. With deadly accuracy, his Staff weapon hit the lead man square in the chest. Jack swung his weapon in a sideways sweep and mowed down the other two.

Jack tapped his radio. "Doc? What's the status on Wells?" he asked Fraiser before shooting three more Jaffa directly in front of him.

* * *

_**P3X-666, The Forest**_

Harry swung the heavy medical pack over his own shoulder and left Anne to carry the tri-folding backboard as they headed out into the woods toward the wounded man's reported position. Daniel led the way with his P90 held ready. His eyes were constantly searching for enemy Jaffa, much more the soldier than the usual easy-going archeologist.

Harry quickly discovered how hard it was to juggle the heavy pack and his own gun. He cast a mild lightening charm but was still forced to keep one hand on the pack to steady it. He decided he'd just have to drop the thing if they ran into anyone.

The party threaded their way through the trees at a fast ground-eating walk. The forest was old growth with thick, tall trees and a heavy canopy. It was set over uneven ground, consisting of small rolling hills and swales. There was very little groundcover but the hills would have made an ambush easy.

They'd gone about a quarter of a mile with no contact when a shout drew their attention to a gully where two soldiers stood guarding a third.

"Over here! Man down over here!"

The four of them turned in their direction. Dr. Fraiser broke into a jog and nearly lost her footing in the loose leaf-litter while descending the steep incline.

"Easy, Janet," Daniel cautioned as he steadied her. They all reached the bottom and edged around the fallen Jaffa to approach Duncan, Bosworth and Wells.

The wounded man was lying on his stomach with a blood-soaked field bandage tied tightly over the wound to his back. He was obviously in serious pain and had his eyes closed and his teeth clenched.

"Good thing you're here, ma'am. There's been a lot of blood coming from underneath him," Bosworth reported tensely.

"I can see that, Airman. We'll take good care of him," Fraiser answered.

"Simon? The doc's here," Bosworth said reassuringly to the wounded man. "You're gonna be alright now."

"Someone should keep an eye out... so we'll cover you7 from up on this ridge, ma'am," Duncan said. He gave a nod to Harry and he and Bosworth trotted up the hill. In the distance, muffled explosions and rifle-fire could now be heard.

"Hey there. I'm Dr. Janet Fraiser. Can you hear me?"

Wells looked up blurrily. "Y-Yeah. It hurts so bad, doc. I can't move- I can't feel my legs. I think it went right through me." Wells groaned, as if even speaking hurt.

Harry set Anne's pack down next to her as she and Fraiser began checking the Airman's vitals. The healer sent him a smile of thanks before going back to work.

Daniel knelt down on the man's other side. "I'm Daniel Jackson."

"I-I know. SG1."

"What's your name?"

"Simon. Senior Airman Simon Wells. Am-am I going to die?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Fraiser said flatly. "Anne, we need to roll him over and stop the bleeding, okay? Daniel, take his legs. Harry, help Anne while I hold his neck steady." They all moved to do as she said. "Simon? You hanging in there?"

Wells grunted in assent.

"Okay. Easy now. All right, on three. One. Two… Three."

"Aaaahhh!!"

Although they'd tried to move as quickly and carefully as possible, Wells screamed in agony. Harry winced and got back out of the way.

"That's good, at least you felt that, Simon," Fraiser said as she checked the exit site.

The radio crackled and Colonel O'Neill's voice asked on the status of the wounded man against a background of P90 fire.

"Colonel, I'm going to need a bit more time to stabilize the patient. He can't be moved yet!"

"**You'll have to make it snappy, Doc. More Unfriendlies are landing,**" O'Neill said urgently.

"Copy. Fraiser out."

"Go-go without me! Leave me!" Wells gasped.

"Nobody is going anywhere," the doctor said calmly. Anne handed Harry an IV bag of Saline and gestured for him to hold it upright while she slipped the catheter into Wells' arm.

"Tell me the truth. I'm-I'm not gonna make it, right?"

"You're gonna be fine," Daniel said.

"Doctor Jackson? Please-please-please. Just let- Just let me tell my wife- I need to-" Wells was getting more and more agitated. Daniel exchanged a concerned look with Fraiser before nodding.

"Okay, okay." He fumbled through his pack and pulled out his camcorder.

"He's got it. Breathe, Simon. Breathe," Fraiser said and patted his arm.

"Doc!"

The call came from up the hill and Fraiser, Daniel and Harry all looked up.

It was Duncan.

"Not you docs… my Doc." He pointed at Harry who shrugged at the others and handed off the Saline bag before jogging up the ridge to Duncan.

"I think you need to pick a new nickname, Sparks. That one seems a might overused. What's up?"

"I think it suits you, Doc. Not my fault there's so many brains loose at the SGC. Uh, so far no baddies but it struck me that that map of yours would come in right handy about now," the sergeant said with a grin.

"It probably would at that, Sergeant… but it's been acting wonky ever since I got caught in that FireStorm. I left it back on Earth. I was going to ask you or Sam to take a look at it when you had the time," Harry answered.

"So much for that idea…" Duncan said regretfully.

"So we do it the old fashioned way, Sparks. Now less talk and more watching. You never know when-" Bosworth's lecture was broken off by a Staff blast, which hit the tree less than a foot from where Harry was standing. A shower of splinters made them all duck.

"Take cover!"

* * *

_**P3X-666, The Gate**_

"**Colonel O'Neill!**" Canfield yelled over the radio. "**We're heavily outnumbered. Our position is being compromised. We're not gonna be able to hold it much longer!**"

Jack keyed his earpiece. "It doesn't matter. We just have to hold out until Fraiser can get Wells back here. Fall back to SG3's position if you need to, Captain. There's more cover there."

"**Roger that.**"

Another explosion went off only about 10m away, sending a shower of dirt and rock chips over Jack's head. The death glider responsible angled away from the return fire.

"Oh- and Warren? Anything your guys can do about those pesky mosquitoes up there?" he asked.

"**We're trying, sir… but we've got Jaffa coming around our flank. We're taking some heavy fire here! Mallory's out and Jenson got clipped in the arm,**" Warren reported.

"Well, do what you can…"

Two members of SG3 laid down some cover-fire while another Airman rose and shot a bazooka at a group of thirty Jaffa who were advancing behind some nearby rocks. Over half either fell or were tossed aside like ragdolls. The rest scattered to regroup.

The exchange of heavy fire continued. Carter moved up to some cover behind a large rock closer to O'Neill.

"Sir, we've gotta fall back!"

"I know!" he shouted back.

Something moved at the corner of his eye. Jack turned sharply and spotted a Jaffa moving in behind them, under cover of some heavy foliage. He glanced forward to check for oncoming fire and then moved to get in to a better firing position to protect their rear.

There was a hot and bright flash and then something hammered into his chest. The last thing he remembered was falling.

"Sir!!" echoed across the field.

* * *

_**P3X-666, The Forest**_

Dr. Jackson held his camera for the injured man. "Okay. It's okay. You can tell her yourself."

"I –I just wanted to say… Marci, I'm _so _sorry about this… Aahh! I love you so much… I-I just- I just wanted…" The Airman's voice trailed off. He was nearly in tears but trying to hold it together, at least long enough to get his message out.

Anne watched in sympathy. _Scenes like this were what healing was all about. Well, that and trying to bring them to a happier ending._ She lay the IV dripbag over her shoulder to keep it running and moved to assist Dr. Fraiser in packing and then bandaging the frontal wound. _Merlin, Staff weapons made a mess!_

Wells started screaming in pain when she tied the last bandage off as tightly as she could. "Oh God! Aahh! Shut it off! Shut it off! I don't want her to see me die!"

Anne felt tears rising in her own eyes and blinked them away determinedly.

Janet, however, was all business. "Simon, Simon! Look at me!" she said sternly. "You. Are. Not. Going to die,okay?"

Wells visibly began to calm down, the doctor's confidence seemed to bleed into him and he finally nodded. _You've got to admire that woman,_ Anne thought.

"I did not come all the way out here for nothing. Now, we've stemmed the bleeding. We're going to get you on a stretcher. We're going to get you home to be with your family in no time, okay? Now you hang in there, you got that?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

A single glance from her superior had Anne handing the Saline bag to Dr. Jackson and moving to unfold the field backboard. A few flips and the nurse snapped the stabilizing locks into place so that the board couldn't refold. She edged around the group on the ground to ease the backboard down next to Wells.

"Take cover!"

A shout from the ridge brought her attention up just in time to see a Jaffa soldier appear and take aim at Dr. Fraiser.

There wasn't time to think about it but the next thing she knew she was pushing the doctor to the side. A loud THAUMP!! exploded in her face. Janet was ripped out of her hands and she hit the ground hard.

She couldn't see anything… The world was confusing chaos of shouts, gunfire and Staff blasts. Fortunately none at her.

"Oh God. What was that? Was she hit?" Wells asked somewhere to her left.

The automatic weapon's fire finally stopped.

"We got them!"

"They're down!"

"Nurse?! Janet?!" That was Dr. Jackson's voice.

There was no answer from the doctor. Anne felt around in front of her until her hand hit something. Cloth. An arm. A vest. Warm… stickiness. Blood… and still nothing from the doctor.

"Janet?!"


	26. Chapter 26

A/N: Well, It's been forever. (Or at least a year and a half.) Besides RL interfering, I hit several walls with this chapter. Probably because it's not very action oriented but there was a lot that I wanted to fit in. So kept avoiding working on it.

I just want to thank all the people who've reviewed and encouraged me over the past year. It did keep me hammering away at it. So without further ado... Here's Chapter 23.

_**Chapter 23: Casualties**_

_**

* * *

**_

_Comradeship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… It has no survival value; but rather… it is one of those things that give value to survival._

_-C.S. Lewis_

_

* * *

_

_**SGC Infirmary**_

Harry was the last team-member to complete his post-mission exam and the medic told him he could go with a pat on the shoulder. He quickly hopped off the Infirmary bed and rolled down his sleeve as the medic hurried away with his blood sample and stats.

The far end of the Infirmary was still bustling with activity. The curtains were drawn around several of the beds and healers were hurrying about between them. Harry caught a glimpse of a Marine with a heavily bandaged arm, who was being helped into a sling by a male nurse, before another medic came and pointed him toward the appropriate door where the rest of the team-members had gone.

Harry quietly sidled into the small, crowded sideroom, which Dr. Fraiser herself had set up as a waiting room. He remembered, during his initial tour, how the cheerful doctor had joked about how useful it was for 'getting the hovering ones out from under her feet'. The room was currently filled to bursting with a number of SG personnel, including SG13 and quite a few others whom Harry didn't recognize. There was very little conversation but the tension was so thick Harry wouldn't have been surprised if he'd have had to push his way through it to walk across the room. He idly wondered if the doctor would be surprised at how many people were 'hovering' for her now.

SG1 was gathered near the opposite end of the room, by the large viewing window that overlooked the main Infirmary. Sam was stiffly seated in an uncomfortable-looking plastic chair with her hands clenching and unclenching in her lap. Although she wasn't crying, her eyes seemed suspiciously red. Teal'c stood solidly at her back with his arms crossed. Outwardly, the Jaffa seemed as immovable and impassive as the mountain above them but occasionally his cheek twitched, showing how tightly his jaw was clenched. Daniel paced in front of them. Five steps up and five steps back (which was about all the space there was in the packed room.) approximately every second or third pass, he would stop and stare out into the Infirmary for a bit before resuming his restless pacing. His green BDUs were covered with partially dry, rusty-brown stains.

They all briefly glanced up at Harry as he came over to them. Daniel gave him a nod before he went back to pacing and the others to staring at Daniel or out into the Infirmary.

"Has there been any word on them?" Harry asked quietly.

Sam bit her lip and shook her head.

"No. There has not," Teal'c intoned, equally quiet. "I believe it will be _some_ time."

"Airman Wells and Janet were rushed to surgery," Daniel stopped pacing to say. He swallowed dryly. "And Jack… They took him into ICU."

"What about Anne? I mean- Lieutenant Fairwell?"

"The nurse?" Daniel asked with a speculative glance, filled with questions. "The nurse who's -----" His jaw seemed to lock up on the last word and the archeologist stopped and looked around the crowded room. "The one who's like you?" Daniel rephrased firmly.

Sam and Teal'c gaze bounced curiously back and forth between them.

Harry frowned but couldn't honestly deny the man's implied question. "The story is hers to tell Daniel…"

Daniel gave a short nod and rounded back to the Infirmary window and his relentless pacing.

Harry sat down on the chair next to Sam and quickly found the plastic monstrosity was just as uncomfortable as it looked. _At least this is something I can fix, _he thought. He lightly tapped the seat of his chair and then did the same with Sam's. She started a little and gave a small bounce on her seat before relaxing back into the cushioning charm. A tiny smile ghosted over her lips.

"Thanks."

"It's a small thing," Harry shrugged. "I only wish I could have done something more for them." He nodded toward the Infirmary.

"We got them all back home, Harry." Her voice was husky. "Sometimes… that's all you can do."

"I know."

Time inched slowly by.

Harry eased back in his now-comfortable chair and leaned his head against the wall. He closed his eyes and thought back to the wild run for the gate…

_**Flashback**_

There had been seven of them vertical in the group with Airman Wells. Anne, who could barely see, had kept Dr. Fraiser stabilized while Daniel had carried her. Harry and Bosworth had managed Wells' litter, which had left Duncan guarding their backs. The whole trip had been a mad dash between various pieces of inadequate cover, while trying not to drop or jar their injured passengers more than necessary while fervently hoping to reach the Gate without a confrontation with the attacking Jaffa.

Fortunately, in that respect, their luck had held. The little group made it back to the gate clearing unchallenged. A couple of solid rocket strikes had cleared the air of Death Gliders just as they arrived. SG5 had provided some heavy coverfire while the rescue group had fled toward the open StarGate. Radio calls of 'Retreat' and 'Fall Back' broke the defensive formations like a collapsing umbrella and the expedition had avalanched through the event horizon and into the GateRoom with a speedy precision that hinted at large amounts of practice.

By the time Harry and Bosworth reached the bottom of the ramp with Wells, a swarm of medical personnel had poured through the right-handed doorway adding to the confusion. They swiftly began sorting out the wounded from the general melee'.

Harry had gratefully set Wells down on an offered gurney. He shook out his cramping arms as the man was whisked off toward the Infirmary. (For the last few minutes there, he'd wondered if he was going to drop the poor bloke… and that was with a discreet lightening charm.)

Teal'c carried an unconscious O'Neill past and then two more injured Marines were helped through the doorway and out of sight just as the iris clanged shut.

Daniel had gently eased Dr. Fraiser down onto the first gurney they came to. He tried to draw Anne Fairwell away to allow the other medics to take over but the nurse stubbornly refused to relinquish her hold on the injured doctor. Instead, she clambered up onto the gurney and seated herself at Fraiser's side, never letting up on the bloodstained pressure bandages around the injured woman's neck and upper chest. Her other hand held her pen/wand over the wound in what Harry thought must be some sort of stasis charm. It had certainly slowed the bleeding from a flood to a trickle. _That might take some serious explaining,_ he thought wryly.

"Leonard! Mike! Get us up to the OR stat!" Anne shouted. "Mary, she's going to need some A positive on tap. You and Lauren, help me get her prepped. She's going to need Dr. Ryan for an immediate exploratory and a possible ruptured subclavian," the young woman rattled off.

Anne's eyes still looked unfocused and swollen half-shut. There was a bad burn across her right cheekbone. A medic tried to get a closer look but she brushed him aside. "Never mind me- I can wait," she said. "We could _**lose**_ Janet if I let go. Now get us up there." The conversation descended into heavy medical jargon as the whole cavalcade exited the room…

_**End Flashback**_

Harry's musings were abruptly interrupted as a weary looking doctor came into the Waiting Room and everyone stood up.

* * *

_**Cheyenne Mountain Entrance**_

A long, black car with government-issue plates and two military escort vehicles glided up to the guard booth at Cheyenne Mountain. They were halted for several minutes while preliminary checks were run and then finally allowed to drive inside the large tubular entranceway. The gate radioed down to base security to inform General Hammond about the visitors.

* * *

_**Hammond's Office**_

Hammond set aside the latest batch of reports that Sergeant Martin had handed him that morning on top of the usual growing pile in his in-box and seated himself at his desk. _This undoubtedly was not going to be pleasant, _he thought.

A knock at the door was followed by the entrance of Colonel Rundell. Behind him was a small, stiff man wearing a frown, a suit and a briefcase as though he'd been born with them. The man stepped forward and handed the general a thin folder with an expectant air.

"General Hammond. This is Mister Woolsey," introduced Rundell in a neutral voice.

"General," Woolsey greeted with a short nod.

Hammond didn't even bother with opening the folder. He just let it fall to his desktop. "I already know that these orders originated from Senator Kinsey's office. Why don't you tell me the rest?" His low opinion on anything coming out of the Senator's ballyhoo was apparent in his voice.

Woolsey met his gaze without flinching and calmly said, "As Chairman of the Intelligence Oversight Committee, Senator Kinsey has asked that I review your Command decision regarding the recent attempted rescue of SG13."

"Attempted?" Hammond asked, feeling slightly disgruntled at the choice of words.

"As I understand it, there were several casualties, general. I'd hardly call it a success."

Hammond reigned in his temper before tightly replying. "My Command decisions are reviewed by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force and by the President of the United States. As of yet, I haven't even filed a preliminary mission report. When I do, you're welcome to read it."

Woolsey stared back coolly. "I have been authorized to begin a full investigation into the matter, as part of a larger examination of SGC strategic policy that the Committee is preparing for the President."

"You have, have you?"

"I have," Woolsey stated.

"This isn't the first time we've been scrutinized by the NID and it probably won't be the last."

Woolsey straightened. "I firmly believe that all classified military operations require Oversight. I know that the stakes around here are always high… but there were seriously high casualties in this instance, comparatively speaking… and you can't deny that this isn't the first time that this has happened. I just want to make sure that it wasn't avoidable in this case. Despite what you may think, the only reason I am here is to get to the truth."

"The truth." Hammond could almost see the quotation marks.

The other man closed his briefcase with a quick snap and gestured to the report on the general's desk. "I've enclosed a list of interviews I will be conducting and materials I will require. We expect your full cooperation." He turned on his heel and headed for the door. Rundell held it open for him, then gave Hammond a courteous nod and followed him out.

"Damn."

His hand reached out for the file folder and its list of demands.

* * *

_**SGC Infirmary**_

The doctor, whose nametag read 'Freiman', paused for a moment upon seeing the large crowd and cleared his throat. "Uh-um. I'm going to assume if you're here, you're interested and start with the minor injuries. We can work our way through to the complicated ones." Freiman apparently took the murmuring for agreement and went on down the list of casualties.

There were quite a number of them, including Anne Fairwell who was suffering from flash burn, two soldiers from SG7 who'd been peppered with shrapnel from a Death Glider shot, a Lieutenant from SG5 who'd taken a head injury resulting in a Grade 3 concussion and a corporal who'd received a nasty flesh wound to his upper right arm.

"…Messy but minor as far as these things go…" Freiman said. "With time and some physical therapy, Jenson'll be back on duty in 3-4 weeks."

SG5 and 7 looked vastly relieved at the news but nobody made a move to leave the room. The tension seemed to ratchet up a notch as the doctor paused in his recital.

"And Wells?" Colonel Dixon asked.

"He's just coming out of surgery and will be moving to recovery within the hour or two, Colonel. The blast snuck under his vest and hit him in the lower left side of his back. It caused some rather extensive tissue damage, including a fractured hipbone… As far as we could tell during the surgery, the blast did not damage his spinal cord. However, there's a lot of swelling… At this point, we're cautiously optimistic. We won't know for certain until he wakes up and we can do more tests."

"What about Colonel O'Neill?" Sam asked in a strained voice.

Dr. Freiman smiled for the first time since entering the waiting room. "I have some good news there… As some of you may have witnessed, Colonel O'Neill was struck dead center by a Staff weapon blast and was unresponsive when he arrived here. Previously, this would have either been immediately fatal or have caused a mortal wound. As it was, we were deeply concerned that the impact trauma had egregiously affected the Colonel's heart rhythms but we've managed to get those settled back down closer to normal…" Freiman focused on his audience's still worried faces. "He's going to be just fine… Incredibly sore but fine," he translated.

The tension everyone felt eased off slightly.

"How is that possible?" Teal'c asked. The big man looked shaken and disbelieving. Several others seemed relieved but rather confused.

"His vest," Freiman said simply. "O'Neill was wearing one of the new ones R&D just came up with… It prevented penetration and somehow managed to dissipate the harmful waves caused by the plasma burst. A vast improvement over the old models… I'm going to recommend the immediate adoption of the new vests for all SG personnel. The Colonel suffered two cracked ribs and some bone-deep bruising across his chest. All in all, I'd say he's one very lucky man."

"And Janet?" Daniel asked, while absently rubbing at the dried blood on his sleeve.

The doctor sighed. "She… wasn't so fortunate. Dr. Ryan still has her in surgery. The shot caught her in the lower anterior portion of the neck." Freiman tapped his own collarbone to indicate the affected area. "Her shoulder strap probably saved her life. As it was the plasma burst shattered Janet's clavicle, which also caused multiple secondary wounds due to the bone fragments. There was major concern about the amount of vascular damage that was done. The bleeding was extensive. Lieutenant Fairwell somehow contained the hemorrhaging long enough to get her back here alive. We're still not sure how Anne managed that with such limited equipment, especially considering her own condition."

"Will the doc make it?" Sparks Duncan asked for all of them.

"I honestly don't know at this point. Too many ifs… It's been touch and go ever since they got her to the table… I _can_ say that Janet Fraiser's as feisty as they come and Ben Ryan is one of our best surgeons. If anyone can pull off a miracle… it's those two," Freiman answered.

* * *

_**SGC Level 18**_

Richard Woolsey flipped through the growing number of files in his briefcase until he found the correct one. He removed it and set it aside before shutting the case with a quick snap of the locks. The case was then set on the floor.

The file folder was placed neatly in front of his chair, which sat precisely in the middle of a small table across from another chair. He absently straightened the documents inside to a more parallel alignment and gave it a fast skim to verify the folder's contents then snapped the folder shut.

_Neatness and preparation, to his way of thinking, were the first signs of a well-ordered mind._

He stood and double-checked the recorder on top of the table and then the corded, flat microphone set up in front of the other chair. Lastly, he tested the video camera set on a tripod in the corner of the room. All appeared to be in working order. Woolsey nodded decisively to himself. _Time to begin…_

He stepped to the doorway, where two security people stood at attention.

"Let's start with SG13. Send in Colonel Dixon."

* * *

_**Infirmary**_

_The Infirmary was comfortably familiar… and yet not,_ Anne Fairwell mused.

The smell of disinfectant and fresh laundry.

Patients' complaints- some loud, some not.

The mixed-up odors of blood and sweat, overlaid by a faint trace of battlefield smoke.

The squeaks of the medical-cart wheels and rubber-soled shoes.

The murmur of quiet voices and the clink of metal instruments.

Familiar background noise to someone who'd spent over a third of her life in Healing Halls of one sort or another. Disconcerting… because as a Healer/Nurse she was usually far too busy to pay much attention to all those small details. As a patient though, particularly one with bandage-covered eyes, it seemed you had _far_ too much time to catalog your surroundings… striving to establish landmarks on a virtual mental map.

The blindness had been rather paralytically terrifying, especially _out there…_ on an alien planet with hostile Jaffa all around. What had proved even more terrifying was the realization that her friend and boss was bleeding to death right in front of her and that blind or not, _she_ was the doctor's best chance of survival.

Never before had her medical magic been so useless. Diagnostic spells needed to be read. Most healing spells to close wounds required a strong visual element to work properly. Merlin knows what harm she could have done by casting one when she couldn't see what she was doing… which left mundane healing methods… and possibly a stasis charm.

Orders and questions had shot from her mouth like bullets and the others had sprang to do her bidding (Anne had never realized she had a secret drill sergeant inside her.)

Dr. Jackson had been a blessed moongift. There had to be some kind of medal for a nonmedical person to talk a blind nurse through a tactile exploratory with a graphic inch-by-inch description of a possibly mortal wound. Jackson had then helped her pack and bind Janet's shoulder and neck. Anne set a sealing spell on the quickly reddening bandages and tapped the doctor's uninjured shoulder with a 'Suspensor vitalus' charm. There wasn't time to worry about the Statute of Secrecy and they weren't on Earth anyway. Oddly enough, Jackson hadn't asked a lot of questions, just handed her whatever she asked for and lent her the assistance she needed. He'd make an excellent nurse if he ever decided to give up archeology. He'd even figured out a way to carry Janet so that Anne could be guided by him but also keep her wand on the patient. The trip back to the Gate had been a nightmare stumble… Constantly trying not to trip over unseen obstacles while holding the draining stasis charm on Janet and praying no one else would get shot. (Because she seriously doubted their ability to cope.)

A sigh escaped as she sank back against the pillows. _At least my sight will be coming back…_ Anne thought in relief. Mundane healing _was_ slower but over the course of her training the witch had come to trust in many of its practices. At least on her patients. She'd never expected to find herself in this situation. Always before, her medical magic had been like a great, warm security blanket… a failsafe to fall back on if ever the mundane methods wouldn't work. It had never occurred to her that the reverse might also be true.

Anne's ever-so-helpful colleagues had bundled her off from the OR soon after Janet Fraiser had been delivered to Dr. Ryan. They'd all jabbered away above her head as if she'd suddenly gone deaf or was some brain-dead newbie who didn't know her _superior rectus_ from her _gluteous maximus_. Without so much as a by-your-leave, she'd found herself stripped and changed to scrubs before being stuffed into this bed and instructed not to move. Dr. Ferrin had administered Fluorecein dye. The following corneal scans had made her eyes water from the flashing blue lights in her peripheral vision, which the doctor informed her was a good sign. Then a cool numbing ointment and bandages had been applied. The doctor had promised to check back periodically to ascertain how much of the retinal saturation had receded before patting her hand and wandering off. (Were all medical personnel so condescending?) Lauren McCall, the nurse helping him, actually smoothed Anne's hair back and patted her head. Then told her to get come rest. Lauren was now officially declared an ex-bestfriend.

That had been ages ago. No one had answered any of her questions. Nothing about Airman Wells and absolutely zip about Janet. Granted, they were probably still in surgery but surely there had to be _some_ news… Hospital beds made one invisible apparently. Most people just hurried by without acknowledging her existence and those that did… Anne swore to herself that if one more person patted her hand and told her 'not to worry, everything will be fine' she was going to start pulling hair- hopefully not her own. How could you not worry when you'd literally held someone's life in your hands?

Anne was clenching her hands around the light-weight hospital blanket in an attempt to stop their fidgeting when a small POP to her immediate left made her jump.

"Greetings, Miss Fairywell," said a high-pitched voice. "I is Dobby, Miss."

"Dobby?" Anne repeated. She'd heard about Harry Potter's strange little 'alien' friend on the base grapevine, of course… along with some pretty wild speculation about how and where the Englishman had run into him.

"A Home Elf?" Anne asked curiously. The descriptions had sounded close enough to the ones from her 'Magical Beings' textbooks that she'd wondered. (The small, helpful creatures were fairly rare in the Americas… and even more rarely seen by any but their bonded families.)

"I is, yes," the voice replied. There was an odd sound, sort of like jingle bells as the creature came closer.

"Um… Hi." She nearly cringed at the lame greeting. "Uh- Is there a reason for your being here, Dobby?"

"I is being sent, Miss," the elf announced proudly. "Harry Potter is wanting me to ask if yous needs any potions or another Healer's help. I goes if yous needs, yes?" The elf sounded very eager to be off, practically bouncing beside the bed. (This was if the increased jingling was any indication.)

"Well… a Healer's really not necessary this time, Dobby. Dr. Ferrin said my eyes are going to be fine."

"Oh…" The elf's disappointment echoed through the word.

"But if it's not too much trouble, I could use a Farzee potion… that's the one with carrot juice… or you could just bring me my Healer's bag from my lab, Dobby." She paused as a thought struck. "Um… Do you know where that is?"

"Oh yes, Miss. Two jumps up and one over."

"Right." Come to think of it, the room was on the western side of the medical level. "Don't you get into trouble for ah… jumping?"

"No, Miss. General George sir said Dobby can pop if I goes to checkpoints so soldiermans know where I ams," the elf reported.

"I see."

A couple 'pops' later the elf returned with a flagon of the appropriate potion.

"Here is, Miss Fairywell," the elf said cheerfully.

"Thanks, Dobby. I appreciate this."

There was a muffled sniffle from Dobby and a wobble to his voice when he answered. "Thanks's to yous, Miss. Is honor to serve _good_ witches and wizards."

The slightly squeaky sound of footsteps came from the far end of the ward and the elf said "Bye, Miss" and popped away. Anne quickly hid the potion bottle and turned toward the approaching visitor only to be disappointed when they passed by without even pausing at her bed. _Definitely ex-friends…_

* * *

_**SGC Level 18- Interrogation Room**_

"…The ruin complex was extensive and Dr. Balinsky indicated that there was a substantial amount of Ancient artifacts scattered throughout it. An aerial survey would have given us a better understanding of the layout and narrowed down the search to places that were more likely to contain something of value…" Daniel explained for the second time, valiantly holding on to his patience.

"So- _you_ thought it was worth risking the lives of an SG team to get this aerial footage of these ruins?" Woolsey questioned rather snidely.

"There was no indication at that point of any further danger. The robot probe had been disabled by SG13… So, yes. I thought it was worth it."

"You'd have me believe that this was an acceptable risk?" Woolsey stated, his tone disbelieving.

"This… is… what… we… do." Daniel said slowly, stressing every word.

"Make bad decisions?" his interrogator sneered.

"Yeah, it's easier to predict the score when the game's over… And if we'd found some powerful weapons in those ruins, capable of defending the planet against the Goa'uld, we wouldn't be having this conversation, would we?"

"But you didn't, and we are," Woolsey said with calm satisfaction.

Daniel sighed and finally glanced away, acknowledging the point.

"In fact, if there had been powerful weapons in those ruins, they would now be in the hands of the Goa'uld. The fact of the matter is that this mission was botched from beginning to end." Woolsey paced in front of Daniel's chair, before whirling back to face him. "Based on your knowledge of how the Goa'uld operate, was it not reasonable to conclude that this was an ambush?"

"There's always that danger."

"And yet you thought it was an 'acceptable risk' to not only go but to take three more teams into such a downward spiraling situation?"

"That's usually what 'backup' is for, yes."

Woolsey sniffed. "You, yourself have gone into situations where you know there was no backup. That is always a possibility on any mission through the Stargate, is it not? Dr. Jackson, none of us likes to admit it, but we all know that there are military situations in which the life of one human being has to be considered an acceptable loss."

"That wasn't the case here," Daniel bit out through clenched teeth. He felt rather ill at the thought that Wells was some sort of low-value plastic marker on a galactic sand-table… no great loss…

"No, it wasn't. In this case, it was just dumb luck that there weren't even more casualties. Nine out of twenty-two people… Tell me, Dr. Jackson… Do you think a 40 percent casualty-rate is an 'acceptable' figure for this sort of mission? Or any mission?"

There was no good answer to that so Daniel turned his head away. Faces- not casualty figures- flew past his mind's eye… Wells- bleeding and desperately trying to tell his wife he loved her… Jack- hanging limply in Teal'c's arms… and Janet- deathly pale in his own.

Woolsey consulted his notes. "You stated that your group went with Dr. Fraiser to collect Airman Wells…" The man went on silkily, "In such cases, it is usually the escorts responsibility to protect the medical personnel while they do their job. As the senior team-member and the one with the most field experience, how do you explain the fact that both Nurse Fairwell and Dr. Fraiser were among the injured brought back from P3X-666?"

The archeologist sucked in a harsh breath at the implied culpability and felt his temper flare. Partly at Woolsey for picking at an open sore and partly at himself, since he had spent some considerable time the last few days fretting over what he could have done differently. There always seemed to be self-doubt in these scenarios… always the feeling that something could have been done to change the outcome. Jack called it 'pointless wheelspinning' or the 'All-Expenses-Paid Guilt-trip on the What-If Express'. Daniel had argued that it was still difficult to get your baggage off the train once it was in motion.

Even so, Daniel wasn't going to let some button-downed, stuffed up, holier-than-thou, bean-counting office jockey dictate his actions after-the-fact. He figured he had his own conscience for that.

"Come, come, Dr. Jackson…" Woolsey chided. "You must have come up with some kind of explanation or excuse for your lack of action in this instance…"

Daniel felt the only response to that lay in a simple crudity.

"F--- you," he said shortly.

Woolsey frowned at the language. "Let me remind you that while you are not an official member of our military and not eligible for court martial, you _are_ expected to cooperate with the procedural guidelines governing this program." He leaned forward. "If you fail to testify to my satisfaction, I will have you jailed until such time that you do…"

Daniel pulled the microphone close and spoke directly into it. "You fine me; you can throw me in jail; you do what you want." He hoped the 'I don't care' came through just as clearly.

The mike hit the table with a THUNK and he made sure to shut the door with firmness on the way out.

The hallway was deserted except for the two guards on either side of the door. Their eyes snapped back to attention, although the one on the right's mouth quirked slightly. Daniel gave them an absentminded nod and walked toward the elevators.

Once onboard, he briefly thought about returning to his office but figured he'd never be able to concentrate. After a moment of indecision he decided to visit Jack in the Infirmary and punched in Level 21.

* * *

_**Infirmary**_

The colonel was about half-dressed and trying to get his right arm through the armhole of a black T-shirt when Daniel walked in. He immediately went to hold the shirt for him. Jack's head popped through and he gave Daniel his best 'I can do it myself' glare (which Daniel ignored) before pulling it down over his bandaged abdomen.

"I heard you were up and around," Daniel commented.

"Yeah. Still a might tender, but they say I can go home."

"That's good."

"Good? It's a ruby slippers moment," Jack said.

Daniel found himself smiling. "No place like home, huh?"

"Nope."

Jack eased himself off the bed with a pained grunt. His movements were slow and careful.

"We're lucky that Staff blast hit you where it did. Looks like the new inserts and Harry's idea works pretty well together," the archeologist said.

"Didn't help Wells or Fraiser so much."

The mood plummeted. "No."

"Has there been any news?"

"Wells is going to be alright. Should be moving toward ambulatory within a couple of weeks…"

"And Fraiser?" Jack asked with concern.

"Still uncertain. She made it through the surgery though… Dr. Ryan had to pin her clavicle back together and there was some extensive tissue damage…" Daniel swallowed bile remembering how it looked firsthand. "The big worry now is infection."

Jack sighed sadly and glanced downward before zeroing in on Daniel again. "So what had you in such a lather coming in here?" he asked.

"The Woolsey meatgrinder…"

"Oh yeah, him." Jack snorted. "Just another swell service offered by Kinsey's office to show how much they care…"

"You met him then?" Daniel asked.

"He got himself banished from the Infirmary yesterday. Dr. Freiman threatened to tattoo his boot-print on his behind if he caught him in here again." Jack grinned reminiscently. "So he sent in a written list of questions and a voice-recorder with a 'request' to get it back to him ASAP. Sweet guy. I'm surprised he's not on more Christmas lists…"

Daniel snickered. "Teal'c was next."

Jack grinned back at him and grabbed his jacket. "That ought to go well," he said as they headed out the door.

* * *

_**Level 18**_

George Hammond swept down the hallway toward the makeshift interrogation room, barely acknowledging the attentive SFs who sprang to open the door for him.

Inside, Richard Woolsey sat re-reading an interview transcript and making notes. He looked up, rather startled at the abrupt entry. "General?" he queried.

Hammond slapped his own report on the table in front of him but kept the other two folders.

"What's this?" Woolsey asked, reaching across the table.

"I've prepared a written testimony," the general said shortly.

"This is simply your mission report," the man said after looking through the folder.

"I though I'd kill several birds with one stone."

"Well, then. I guess my work is done here," Woolsey remarked dryly. "The President will have my preliminary report by the end of the week."

"Yes… about that report… I've got something here I think you should be including with that, Mr. Woolsey." Hammond tapped the second folder with a finger.

"And what would that be?" The man's eyes narrowed.

Hammond tossed the folder down. "It's the medical stats of the injured from P3X-666, including Janet Fraiser, who has been downgraded to critical this morning."

Woolsey's face didn't change. "I'm sure we're all pleased to hear that, but if you think the lack of an actual fatality will take the teeth out of my report, I'm afraid you're mistaken. The past mission statistics alone bear out the reckless mismanagement ongoing with the SGC. It's only a matter of time before there's a tragic disaster, possibly of epic proportions and consequences." He shook his head sadly and added the medical stats to his pile of reports. "I will include these, General. I want my report to be as complete as I can make it. The most important thing is that the President gains an accurate picture of what goes on here so that he can make his decisions. It should be an interesting read."

Hammond's mouth had tightened over the course of his speech. "I'm sure it will be every bit as interesting as your memo on the economics of the SGC…" He flipped the last folder down on the pile.

Woolsey blinked in shock. "I won't bother asking how you got that."

Hammond smiled coldly and folded his arms. "What was the dollar value you attributed to an SG team member?"

"You know damn well I wasn't pegging the value of a person's life. It is cold, hard fact that it costs millions of dollars to train these men and women, and that it's only a fraction of the funds being subverted by the Pentagon for this operation." He stood up abruptly and glared at Hammond. "I think it is absolutely reprehensible that the taxpayers of this country are paying enormous sums of money to wage a war they know nothing about, and are getting little, if anything, in return. If the Stargate's existence were made public knowledge and your actions were being judged in court of public opinion-"

The general broke in sternly, "You're the one suggesting that sending a rescue team worth $27 million to save the life of one man is a bad business decision."

Woolsey slashed his hand down in a sharp movement. "You're putting words in my mouth," he said, soundly annoyed.

"Well, we want the President to have a clear picture, don't we, Mr. Woolsey?" Hammond said even more coolly.

"Are you threatening me?" the man sputtered in disbelief.

"You said it in black and white, and I don't think you would have dared to do such a thing if this wasn't a classified operation. The President has asked a documentary team to film what's going on around here… Why don't we just go down and give them the whole truth 'as you see it'? We could go right now. See _just_ what the court of public opinion will say…"

Woolsey gathered up his files. "That memo is classified. This investigation is classified. If you so much as utter even a hint of either, I'll see you put away in a cold, dark place for the rest of time," he warned, before stalking out.

* * *

Having successfully routed one adversary (if probably only temporarily), Hammond strode swiftly back toward his office and the dreaded pile of paperwork on his desk. The good news about Janet Fraiser and the pulling of Woolsey's teeth put a confident spring in his step.

From the floating scuttlebutt the general had overheard, Woolsey hadn't made any friends with his insinuations and his 'holier than thou' attitude during the extensive interviews. The word had spread faster than an ink stain and the SGC ranks had closed up tight against the NID man.

'_The man did seem relatively competent and certainly thorough in his investigation,_' Hammond would give him that… '_but he was definitely dogging the wrong brushbunny on this one,_' the Texan thought confidently.

A shout of, "General!" brought Hammond to a halt. He turned to find Colonel Rundell bearing down on him.

"What is it, Colonel?"

The man's normally impassive face changed to apologetic. "Security caught Mr. Bregman trying to access the Infirmary, sir. He claims it was all a simple mistake, but I've shown him all around this complex…"

A wave of anger, such as he'd rarely felt flooded through Hammond. "Get rid of him," he said coldly. He was absolutely fed up with all of their unwanted visitors.

"Uh, sir? Have our orders changed?" Rundell asked.

Hammond snorted. "Toss him out on his ass, colonel. There are some lines that no one is allowed to cross."

* * *

Less than ten minutes later, Bregman himself burst into the general's office without knocking.

"General, I must protest-"

Hammond rose to his feet and interrupted. "You have exactly one hour to get off my base and out of my sight forever."

The agitated man stood nearly to attention and his jawline clenched. "You think I stepped over some line. I don't. I think-"

"I don't care what you _think_, Mr. Bregman. The rules you agreed to abide by are not negotiable and my people's pain is not going to be fodder to add drama points to your little video."

"Is that truly what you think I want out of this documentary?" Bregman asked rather rhetorically and shook his head sadly. "Have you spoken with the two young men who… disallowed my entrance into the Infirmary this morning, general?" the filmmaker suddenly said.

"Just what good would that do you, Mr. Bregman?" Hammond asked.

"I must insist that you ask them a couple of questions or I'll be forced to protest your decree on that red phone of yours…" Bregman said firmly.

"You have some nerve, Mr. Bregman," Hammond said through gritted teeth as a kernel of doubt threaded up his spine.

"That's what my mother used to say." Bregman stared quite levelly back at him and didn't back down an inch.

The silence stretched.

Bregman moved towards the phone. Hammond slapped a hand down over the receiver. The filmmaker rocked back on his heels, looking frustrated and annoyed. Finally, he turned away and headed for the door.

Just as his hand settled over the knob, Hammond spoke… as though the words were being dragged out of him. "What are the questions?"

_

* * *

__**Infirmary**_

The quiet of the darkened Infirmary was broken only by the occasional footsteps of the passing night-nurse and the soft tapping from Sam's laptop keyboard. She stopped typing from time to time to gaze at the sleeping form of her best friend before returning to her report on the 'probe droid'. (Lee insisted they call it that) It was truly an elegant, streamlined bit of equipment, especially from a goa'uld. The design reminded her of something she'd seen somewhere before but she couldn't quite place it.

A slight noise from the bed drew Sam's attention to the patient at her side and she closed the computer's lid with a snap.

"Janet?" she whispered softly.

There was no answer. Janet Fraiser's eyes were still closed and her breathing was slow and even. However, her pale face had tilted slightly to the side, showing off more of the white bandages encasing her left shoulder and neck.

The doctor somehow seemed much smaller lying in the hospital bed than she ever had on her feet. Sam's lips curved into a faint smile as she thought about the first time she'd ever seen Janet Fraiser. She'd come down to the Infirmary because of a nasty electrical burn. (courtesy of Lt. Allen turning the power on too soon) The tiny doctor had been reaming out some six foot plus Marine over a bone-headed sparring stunt that he'd seen on TV. Even though the man had towered more than a foot over her, he'd been staring at the floor and scuffing a toe by the time she'd finished, Sam remembered with warm amusement. Thoughts of shared jokes and girl's night outs where they'd laughed so hard Sam'd snorted diet Coke through her nose (nearly burning her sinuses out). It had only made them laugh harder.

Humor soon faded away faced with the reality of the bruised and bandaged figure on the bed. The major stood up abruptly and stretched out the aching muscles in her neck and back. Mostly gained from the hours of sitting time. Hours of worry and waiting.

She paced the room and back before reluctantly reclaiming her seat.

For the last few days, Janet's friends had been taking it in turns to stand watch at her bedside. There'd been so many volunteers that Dr. Ryan had put his foot down and organized shifts. Cassandra and Daniel in particular, had been given strict orders to stay no later than 20:00 hundred hours in the evening or show their faces in the Infirmary any earlier than 09:00. The medical staff had been nearly as bad, coming in every few minutes to check Janet's chart and monitors or fussing with her immaculate covers. _It was rather sweet in a totally annoying sort of way that would probably drive Janet up the wall if she ever… no, when she woke up,_ Sam thought.

A soft click from the door opening jerked her out of her thoughts as a dark figure slipped inside.

It was Teal'c. His large, solid presence moved to Sam's side in absolute silence. (It always amazed her how quietly he moved.) The Jaffa stood there, almost at attention for several, long moments without speaking… just gazing down at Janet's sleeping form.

At last he turned away and bowed his head in greeting.

"Major Carter."

"Hey Teal'c."

"I found I could not find rest this evening," the big man said in his calm way. "I thought it would b time better spent here."

Sam found herself smiling. "I'd enjoy your company." She didn't comment on the fact that quite a number of people were having trouble sleeping lately. It was why she'd taken the night shift.

"Has there been any change?" he asked after he'd brought the other chair around the bed and taken his seat.

"No. Not since yesterday."

A comfortable silence settled between them for a time. She finished her report and set the laptop aside to find Teal'c, still sitting quietly at her side, was holding a large, cream-colored candle. The kind he used to use during his nightly kelno'reem (deep meditation).

"Whatcha got there?" she asked curiously.

"It is the candle of Longevity," he answered. The Jaffa looked down and idly watched his hands, which were turning the cylinder of wax over and over. His fingers tracing patterns up and down the side.

Sam waited patiently, knowing Teal'c would go on when he was ready.

"When I first came here from Chulak, I did not fully understand what function a 'doctor' served," he finally said quietly. "Jaffa have the symbiate for healing and there is very little concern for physical well-being. We live and die as fate and the gods dictate." He paused.

"After I arrived and the first interrogations were concluded, General Hammond granted me a room. O'Neil and Doctor Fraiser guided me there. She asked if there was anything she could get for me to make it more like my home… I asked for a small light to focus on for kelno'reem." A brief flicker of amusement shown across the Jaffa's face. "O'Neil gave me a flashlight."

Sam laughed softly… that was _so_ Jack.

"Doctor Fraiser returned later with a box of candles. She said she found the scents relaxing." He paused again. "I have found I agree."

"And the candle of Longevity?" Sam asked, gesturing toward the one he was holding.

"Three main candles are lit for Kelno'reem. The three tenants of strength. Honor, Loyalty and Longevity. I found myself explaining this as well as the intended purpose of the meditation. Doctor Fraiser was… concerned, when I did not light the candle for Longevity. I explained that I hoped to regain my Honor by Loyalty to a newer and more worthy cause, but that Longevity was not an option after turning against Apophis. She laughed, took the tapir and lit the candle herself. She said that she would take care of my longevity if I would handle the other two."

That had to be one of the longest things Sam'd ever heard him say in the six years she'dknown him. "And now?" she asked.

Teal'c reached over and set the candle on the bedside table. "I had thought to light a candle of Longevity for Janet Fraiser," he said simply and struck a match to put words to deeds.

The tiny light flickered and then finally held. A clean, fresh scent wafted toward Sam and she inhaled deeply.

"What scent is it?"

"Lemon. Doctor Fraiser said it was considered uplifting and proven to reduce stress as well as helping one to relax…"

"You sound like a bath products commercial, Teal'c. Have you been watchin' daytime television again?"

The voice came from the doorway and their heads jerked around to find Jack O'Neil standing there, an arm protectively held around his tender middle.

"Colonel! You shouldn't be here," Sam said, springing to her feet. "You're supposed to be at home- Resting..."

"Ran out of Simpson videos…" the Colonel said facetiously. (Considering the shear number of videos the man owned, Sam wasn't sure that was even possible.) "Thought I'd come down and make sure Teal'c here wasn't raising Cain. You never can tell with these quiet types."

Teal'c, who had also risen upon seeing O'Neil, didn't reply to the man's sally, although his eyebrow rose to his nonexistent hairline. He did take the Colonel's elbow and then guided him over to the now empty chairs. O'Neil sat down rather gingerly but otherwise ignored the solicitude.

The colonel's normally good-humored expression, which made him seem so boyishly young, had melted away into something more haunted. The gray hairs on his head didn't seem as out-of-place as they usually did. "How's Janet?" he said gruffly, getting straight to the point.

"Pretty much the same, sir," Sam answered. "Although Dr. Ryan said he was more optimistic now that her temperature has come down. They're hoping she'll wake up soon… maybe tomorrow."

"The Doc's tough…" O'Neil commented, "Though you wouldn't think it to look at her."

Teal'c nodded gravely. "As many have found to their cost."

"Do you remember her after we booted Hathor?" Sam smiled. "Or Nirrti?"

O'Neil smirked. "Yeah… Like Doc Rambo or somethin'."

Sam's smirk grew to match. "Remember last October?"

O'Neil's face went indignant, "I'll have you know that was totally unnecessary."

"Huh. That's not what Janet said."

"Aren't medical details supposed to be private?" O'Neil groused.

"It was hardly public, sir. Just us."

"Still…"

"She did warn you, sir. Several Times."

O'Neil grinned ruefully. "Did you know that she came to my house that week… barged in on a telephone call from the General. Although she waited until I was finished to start lecturing."

"She told me that she threatened to announce it over the P.A. if you didn't stick to the schedule she set up," Sam remarked.

"I know… I know… Every day, without fail, no matter what alien emergency crops up," the colonel said in a put upon, sing-song voice, as if taking his blood pressure medicine was an incredible hardship.

"twice…"

Sam, Teal'c and O'Neil looked at each other and then down. Janet's eyes were dazed but open…

"Janet?!!"

"What was that?"

"I… said… Twice a day… without fail…" she swallowed painfully. "And the P.A. is still an option, sir."

Sam thought their grins might split their faces. O'Neil laughed hardily as the door flew open and the on-duty medical staff burst into the room.

* * *

_**Next Day**_

General Hammond knocked and then motioned for his companion to remain outside before he eased open the door to Janet Fraiser's room. When he'd called to see if she was up for visitors, the nurse on duty had laughed and said that they'd fit him in.

"Come in."

The patient was propped up in bed with her arm and shoulder immobilized. She looked pale and tired but alert. She mustered a small smile at his entrance.

"Sir!"

"Janet. It's good to see your eyes open," Hammond said warmly. "You had us all very worried there."

"Not my intention sir, I assure you."

"I suspect not."

She motioned for him to sit down but he shook his head. "I sit too much as it is, Major. Actually, I brought you a visitor… He has something for you. Might cheer you up."

"Oh? What's that?"

Hammond opened the door and ushered in Eugene Bregman. The filmmaker was carrying a poster-sized roll of paper and looked very hesitant, as if unsure of his welcome.

"Mr. Bregman? How nice of you to come." Janet's voice was mildl surprised but pleased and Hammond's tension eased at knowing he'd made the right decision.

"I, uh… didn't know if you'd want to see me… especially, um… now." Bregman gestured to the hospital bed and her bandages.

"It's fine," Janet said. When the man still looked uncertain, she dryly remarked. "There's not much to do as a patient, Mr. Bregman… Visitors are usually very welcome."

He smiled and relaxed.

"So what's this present you have that might cheer me up?"

"Oh, um… Well, I thought flowers first but didn't think they would, uh, be allowed… top secret base and all… so I thought maybe a card or something and then we had all these pictures… The film, you know, and I just, um… cobbled this together. The general, he, uh… helped."

Janet's eyes flicked between the two men. "Uh, helped with what exactly?"

The filmmaker gestured with the roll of paper in his hand. "This. Uh, General? Could you hold this end?" Hammond stood while Bregman went to the opposite side of the bed and they slowly unrolled the collage.

The final piece was 6 foot long by 3 foot high and was totally covered with pictures of SGC personnel, many with little, well-wishing notes and signatures. In the middle, was a larger picture of Janet Fraiser and her daughter, Cassandra. Just about everyone on the base had signed it.

Janet looked on, speechless. Her good hand trailed gently over the nearest faces. Jack O'Neil, Sam Carter, Teal'c, Daniel Jackson, Connie Smith, Ian Hules, Simon Wells…

"Uh, General Hammond said that it would have to remain on base but, well, I thought maybe you could hang it in your office or something…" Bregman's voice trailed away in panic as tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over. "Um, if you don't like it, uh…"

"N-no, it's perfect." Janet sniffled a bit and accepted the handkerchief that Hammond gave her. "Thank you…" she said with a watery smile. "Tell everyone thank you…"


End file.
